


A Baby For Christmas

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Anti Cora, Confusion, Eventual Smut, F/F, Growing Up, Heartbreak, Homophobia, Mayor Evil Queen | Regina Mills, One Shot Collection, Original Character(s), Parent Emma Swan, Parent Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Regal Believer, Sheriff Emma Swan, Snowing isn't emma's parents, Swan Believer, Swan Queen - Freeform, Swan-Mills Family, Teenage Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2018-08-24 01:21:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 77,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8350765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Sheriff Emma Swan brings home a surprise on Christmas Eve. Her wife, Regina, is at first hesitant, but once she holds the little one, she's sold.





	1. A Baby For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so this is fanfiction. Let's not overthink laws and such, alright? Haha. You'll see what I mean in a bit.

It was Christmas Eve in Storybrooke, Maine. The snow fell on the ground; it would truly be a white Christmas. The thought made Sheriff Emma Swan roll her eyes, it was a bit too cheesy for her taste, especially in this town. She had never even pictured herself in such a place, but after she met Regina, she knew the town came as part of the deal. Her now wife was the mayor. The two had met when Emma, at the time working for the FBI, had shown up with her team to investigate a strange series of murders. Sparks flew and before the blonde knew it, she was resigning from her position and taking up a sheriff one. They were married in under a year.

 

So yes, as much as she hated small town life, she wouldn’t change it, for then she wouldn’t have her wife.

 

“Swan,” a voice called for her as she was packing up to leave. The blonde turned around to see her deputy, Graham, standing there. “We have a situation.”

“Can’t you handle it? I have to head home.” Regina had made a big deal of her being home Christmas Eve. The mayor herself had to pull a lot of strings to be able to do so.

“It’s serious, Swan.”

“Alright, alright.” She followed him into the lobby of the station where a car seat sat. In it, was a baby, most likely an newborn, bundled up in blankets. Emma frowned. “Who does this belong to?”

“There was a note.  You know this is one of the Safe Haven locations,” he explained, handing it over.

Emma nodded, she had convinced Regina to add a Safe Haven law due to her own upbringing. She had been abandoned as a small child and was adopted by a great family. Still, Storybrooke was such a small town, this was the first case. She opened the note and quickly read it. “It says here that he was born yesterday and has no name, she’s just so young and can’t handle it.”

“I found this as well,” he handed over some documents. “Looks like she signed over her parental rights, they just haven’t been notarized or filed.”

“She didn’t name him,” Emma muttered. “What are we going to do?”

“We have to bring him to the hospital.”

“No, no, that’s too drastic,” she crouched down and slowly unstrapped him, looking down at the baby. He wasn’t fussing or anything, just staring contently up at her, with big green eyes, chubby cheeks and all. A tear trickled down the blonde’s cheek.

 

 _Stop, you can’t take him._ She tried telling herself. She and Regina had talked about having kids, but it was a touchy subject. Regina couldn’t get pregnant and though she’d never say it, Emma knew she’d be jealous of her wife getting to carry. Adoption was such a scary process for them, too many unknowns. Though in this circumstances, there were none.

 

“I’ll bring him to Whale,” she said. “He should still be open. He’ll give him a checkup.”

“And then you’ll call social services?”

“Sure,” Emma lied.

 

She didn’t want to put the baby back into the car seat, she just wanted to hold him and snuggle, but also knew she had to drive over there. She strapped him in and picked it up, heading out to her car. Recently, she had learned how to strap in car seats so she could teach classes to expectant parents, so she did it with little trouble. Soon, they were at the doctor’s office. With it being the holidays, there were no patients in her way, however Whale looked about ready to leave.

“I’m sorry Sherriff, but I have to go, Ruby and I are throwing a party,” he explained.

“Please, he was dropped off at the station,” she pleaded.

“Take him to the hospital.”

 _They’re going to call social services!_ “Need I remind you that when you have your annual bike safety day, you’ll need cops to help you run it,” she said, hating to blackmail, but feeling at a loss for anything else.

Whale gave her a small smirk. “You’re more like your wife every day. Come, come.” He lead her into the back and took the baby out of the car seat. Emma felt a surge of protectiveness, but allowed it. _I just met this baby, how can I already be so attached to him?_

Whale unbundled him from the blankets, revealing that he was naked except a diaper. The blonde frowned. How could the girl just drop him off like that? She tried to remind herself she was most likely a teenager, a scared teenager at that. The doctor began the appointment, looking him over and weighing him.

 

“He seems to be a perfectly healthy baby boy,” Whale concluded. “Healthy lungs and heartbeat, 7 pounds, 9 ounces and 21 inches.”

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“I would recommend calling social services.”

“It’s Christmas Eve, I doubt they’ll be able to find a home that quickly.”

The doctor smiled. “Do you want to keep this child, Sheriff?”

“I um, I have to talk to my wife,” she stammered.

“Look, I could get in trouble for this, but after all, you’re the sheriff and your wife is the mayor,” he continued. “You bring him home and talk to her. I’m sure from there, you and Regina will follow the proper channels. I’ll pretend that I never saw him here tonight.”

Emma beamed. “Thank you, Dr. Whale.”

“My pleasure, stay here for a moment.” He walked out and returned a moment later, holding a small outfit. “Ruby and I were gifted this last year when we had Matilda, but obviously she was a girl. I keep it here in case one of my little patients spits up.”

“I appreciate it,” Emma watched the doctor dress him before bundling him back up and strapping him in the car seat.

 

After getting them both back in the car, Emma checked her phone. It was 7:00. She had promised Regina she’d be home by 6. Hoping for the best, she drove to their home. She looked back in the rearview mirror at the baby.

 

“I promise no matter what, I’ll make sure you have a good home,” she whispered. “I’ll give you your best chance.”

 

She got out of the car, removing the baby from the car seat and going inside, instantly hit by the warmth. She could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen.

 

“Emma, please explain to me what could’ve been more important than coming home on time?” Regina’s voice carried from the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said, feeling like a teenager missing curfew. “I was going to make it but then…” She entered the room and her raven-haired wife spun around, spotting the baby in her arms.

“Is that a baby?” Regina asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Uh huh.”

“Do you have something you need to tell me?”

“Well just thank your lucky stars you agreed to sign that Safe Haven bill into effect,” the blonde replied. Making sure not to drop the baby, she pulled out the paperwork Graham had given her, handing it over. “The mother dropped him off at the station.”

Regina reviewed them, a sigh escaping her lips. “Oh Emma…why didn’t you call social services?”

“Because then he’d be in the system and…look, I know I was adopted, but it’s not always that simple. Plus, it’s Christmas Eve, it’d probably be hard to find a family.”

“He needs a wellness check.”

“Whale performed one, he’s perfectly healthy.”

“And he didn’t insist on you calling?”

“He understood and is pretending like I was never there.”

Regina gave her a Look. “I know we want a child, but this is insane. You can’t just bring a baby home, like he’s a stray puppy.”

“I understand it won’t be easy, but from the moment I held him…I just know he’s meant to be ours.” She watched her wife shake her head. “Just hold him.”

“Emma…” Before she could finish, the sheriff was putting the baby in her arms. Regina sighed, making sure to support the head and looked down, preparing to keep her heart cold…

 

It couldn’t. Her dark eyes locked on his green ones and she smiled. He was so adorable, so perfect. This chubby little baby was melting her heart in just a moment of seconds. His little hand poked out from underneath the blanket and wrapped around her thumb.

 

“Well hello there,” she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes.

Emma smiled. “I told you.”

Regina ignored her. “I’m sure all of this has been so scary for you,” she cooed at the baby. “Left all alone in a strange place, but I see that you were taken care of, oh yes.” She began walking back and forth, rocking him. Her eyes couldn’t leave his. “How can I love someone so much when I just met him?”

“Because he was meant to be ours.”

The mayor nodded, biting her lip, looking over at Emma. “Maybe…maybe we could do this.”

Emma grinned wider. “Really?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “We’ll call social services on the 26th and share our plans to adopt. I’m sure we’ll need a home study and such, but you’re the sheriff, I’m the mayor. How could they say no?”

Emma cupped her wife’s face, kissing her. Regina returned it, letting her lips linger until the baby began to fuss. They pulled apart, laughing. “Sorry my sweet prince,” Regina cooed. “We were ignoring you, weren’t we?” She wiped away a tear. “So, where’s his stuff?”

“Stuff?” Emma repeated.

“You know, diapers, clothes, formula…” She trailed off when she saw the lost look on her wife’s face. “Emma!”

“Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied!”

Regina shook her head, looking back down at the baby. “I guess we’ll have to send Mama out for some provisions, won’t we?”

“Mama, huh?”

The mayor blushed. “Well uh…I always thought you’d be Mama, I’d be Mommy, unless you wanted…”

“I think that’s perfect.”

 

Regina smiled.

 

“Well, grab a pen and paper. I’ll tell you what we’re going to need.”

“Why do I have to go?”

“Because I’m not ready to put him down yet.”

 

Emma chuckled and listened to her wife’s list: diapers (newborn size), formula, bibs, burp cloths, clothes, wipes, baby powder, swaddling blankets and bottles.

 

“What is he supposed to sleep in?” The blonde asked. “I bet I can get all this at the market, but any baby stores are sure to be closed.”

“I’ll phone Mary Margaret and David; I think they still have Neal’s old bassinet.”

 

Emma nodded before kissing her wife again.

 

“We have a baby,” she whispered.

Regina smiled. “We have a baby.”

* * *

That night, after Mary Margaret had brought by her son’s old bassinet and the baby was asleep in it, Emma and Regina stood over it, watching the little one in wonder.

 

“He’s so tiny and yet so chubby,” Emma commented.

“Our little squish,” Regina cooed.

“He’ll need a name.”

Regina thought for a moment. “I don’t know how you feel about this, we don’t have to, but my father, his name was Henry…”

“I think Henry is a perfect idea,” Emma replied, rubbing her arm. She knew how close her wife had been with her father. She had only known him a short time before cancer took him from the world. “Maybe Daniel, for a middle name.”

“Emma, we don’t have to…” Regina began. Daniel had been her first love. While Emma was a lesbian, Regina was bi. Daniel had been killed while fighting overseas when he and the brunette were just eighteen.

“He was a hero, our son should be named after two important, heroic men,” Emma replied.

Regina stared at her wife in awe. Emma knew about her past and wasn’t jealous, she wanted to celebrate it. Not many would be okay with naming their child after their wife’s former lover. “Henry Daniel Swan Mills.”

“Sounds perfect to me,” Emma told her, kissing her.

 

They spent the next day with it just being the three of them. On the 26th, they did call social services and a home study was performed and they were granted temporary custody of Henry while they looked into make sure that he could really be adopted. And finally, six months later, they were able to.

 

To this day, Emma has never been able to top that Christmas present.


	2. Six Months Later

Regina walked through the door of her home, the sounds of classic rock and the smell of Chinese food greeting her. She threw up her purse and headed into the living room. Emma was holding Henry, dancing to Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas. Henry swayed back and forth in her arms, giggling. A small smile played on Regina’s lips.

 

“Emma, I told you he needs to listen to classical music,” she said.

Emma looked up, chuckling. “This stuff is better; he can grow up and be a rock star. But a very well behaved rock star, no drugs or booze or trashing hotel rooms.”

Regina rolled her eyes and tickled the baby’s chin. “No, he’s going to be a doctor, a very successful doctor. Or maybe a lawyer.”

“You just want him to get into politics to be like his mommy,” the blonde teased.

“Well he’s not risking his life and joining the FBI like his mama,” the raven-haired beauty shot back.

Emma giggled and turned off the stereo once the song ended. “How was work?”

“It was great. So, tomorrow we interview nannies, yes?”

 

After they took in Henry, both of them had stayed home for a month, Regina popping into the office when absolutely needed but eventually she had to return. Emma had Graham take over her duties as sheriff temporarily, but she wanted to return to work, as much as she dreaded leaving her little boy.

 

“Yes, the agency sent over the profiles so we can look them over.”

“And did you…”

“Called one of my old friends and ran background checks on every single one.”

Regina beamed. “Good.” She gave her a kiss, which as per usual, made Henry fuss.

“He’s only a baby and already hates his mommies kissing,” Emma joked.

“Well he better get used to it,” Regina cooed. “Because his mama is very attractive.”

“Mmm…what do you say you feed him and then we put him down so we can have a little fun?”

“Sounds great…but you’re getting up with him tonight.”

“I’m with him all day,” Emma protested.

“Yes but then I’ll take care of the changes and feedings tomorrow since I’m home.”

Emma scrunched up her lips. “Alright, deal.”

 

Regina smiled and pecked her lips.

 

“Pleasure doing business with you, Sheriff,” she took the baby out of her arms and carried him into the kitchen, fixing him a bottle. “Would you like to hear a story while you eat, my sweet prince?” Henry cooed up at her, squirming a bit. “Hmmm, which would you like to hear tonight? How about how I met your mother.” Henry smiled, obviously not aware what she was speaking of, just in love with the sound of his mother’s voice. “Well, once upon a time, an FBI agent rolled through this sleepy town and she showed up at my office, screaming at me.”

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re missing a crucial part to this story,” Emma protested from the doorway.

Regina rolled her eyes. “It’s not polite to interrupt, Swan,” she finished making the bottle and stuck the nipple into her son’s mouth.

“Well you left out the part where you threatened to give my partner a citation for  _accidentally_  running over your roses.”

“Accident, sure. Anyway, this loudmouth blonde came running in, ranting and raving. I didn’t even know what she was going on about.” Regina shook her head and made a face at the baby. “I told her to calm down or else I’d lock her up. Come to find out that she was in the FBI and she threatened to lock  _me_  up.”

“Well I just wanted to see you in handcuffs,” Emma muttered.

“Swan! Not in front of the child,” Regina chided. “Anyway, she left and I thought about her all day long. Later she came back and asked me to dinner.”

“And Mommy said no and made Mama very sad.”

“Interrupt again and we won’t have any fun later,” the mayor told her wife, causing her to smile. “But, Mommy later came to her senses and they had a really great dinner. Which lead to well…”

“Lots and lots of fun,” Emma winked.

“I swear,” Regina mumbled, but was smirking.

“He’s six months old, we’ll have time to perfect the story when he’s at the age at which he can understand.”

“No, he needs to stay our little squish forever and ever.”

“I’m not changing diapers forever and ever, so he needs to get old enough to potty trained,” Emma retorted, cracking open a beer.

Regina’s eyes rolled again. “Mama is so silly, isn’t she?” The boy had finished up his bottle, so she adjusted him to burp.

 

She carried him up the stairs to the nursery they had set up not long after his arrival. A big oak crib sat in the center of the room with a knight and horse mobile dangling above it. Pictures of fairytale characters were scatted about the walls and wooden letters A to Z hung by his changing table. And despite him being 6 months old, he had so many stuffed animals gifted to him from their friends.

 

Regina changed him into his pajamas, settling him down into his crib. “Sweet dreams, my little prince,” she cooed. “Mommy loves you so much.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead before walking out of the room. Emma approached her, wrapping her arms around her wife’s waist.

“Now, where were we?”

“Right about…” She cut herself off by kissing the blonde.

* * *

The two women sat up in bed later on that night, Emma’s hair thrown back, glasses on while she looked over some cases Graham had sent over, so she’d be all caught up when she returned. Regina on the other hand, was reviewing the nanny profiles and their background checks.

 

“Some of these girls are barely qualified,” she mused, feeling irritated.

“All of them come with references.”

“Yes, but not all have cared for an infant. Plus, Henry is a special case. He has asthma.”

“No, he has a predisposition to asthma,” Emma corrected, remembering what Whale had said.

“Still.” She threw the current file down. “Maybe I could just bring him with me to the office.”

“That’ll go over real well.  _Excuse the crying baby senator, let’s get back to that bill._ ” Emma cocked an eyebrow and Regina sighed.

“No one is good enough to watch him.”

“Yes, I know. I feel the same way and trust me, I wish I was cut out to do the whole stay-at-home mom, domestic wife, keep your dinner warm crap…”

“But you’re not and that’s okay. I’m not either,” Regina replied. “Plus, it’s good for Henry to see that we’re both still working.”

“I did see one I liked, Ashley Boyd. She’s got her early childhood education degree and used to own a daycare in New York,” Emma said, setting her own work to grab the file.

“What made her give it up?”

“She married a Navy man and he got stationed at a base in Maine.”

“Military means she could be moved…”

“He was promised at least 3 years here, so that’d be right around the time he’ll be starting pre-school.”

Regina sighed and began to flip through it. “I suppose she’s the most qualified of the bunch…plenty of references but not  _too_ many.”

“We’ll give them all a fair shot, but she sticks out at most, doesn’t she?”

“You’re right, she does.” Regina leaned over to peck her lips. “Have I mentioned how sexy you look with your glasses on?”

“Do you really want round two?”

“I’m feeling especially feisty tonight.” She began to nibble on her neck, when Henry’s cries rang out through the baby monitor. “And our son calls for you.”

“I so hope you get at least two poop explosions tomorrow,” Emma muttered, throwing back the covers and padding down to the nursery. She reached down and lifted up the crying baby. “Shhh, what is it huh? It’s not time for you to eat yet. And…” She checked her diaper. “You don’t need a change, what is it kid?” She continued to rock him.

 

She looked down into his eyes and sighed.

 

“You really are the best baby, you know that, don’t you? Even when you get all fussy,” she stroked his cheek, wiping a few of his tears. “You know I’m your mommy, don’t you?”

“Of course he knows,” Regina said.

Emma had felt her wife’s presence, so the words didn’t surprise her. “Sometimes I wish there was some way we never had to tell him.”

“As do I. But, alas it is scientifically impossible for two women to conceive naturally.”

“Maybe if we kept him naïve,” Emma joked.

Regina wrapped her arms around her wife’s shoulder, resting her chin atop her head, smiling down at the baby. “He’ll always know we’re his mothers, we take care of him, we love him, that’s what counts. That’s what makes us his mother.”

The sheriff nodded. “You’re right, I know you’re right. My parents are my parents, I just… I do wonder about my biological ones sometimes. Not because I love them, I just wish I knew why they left me.”

“Didn’t you find them?”

“Yeah but I never sent any letters or anything. I can’t just disrupt their lives. I never want Henry to feel like an orphan.”

“He won’t, my love, he has us.” Regina’s lips brushed against her temple. By now, Henry had stopped crying, his hand around Emma’s finger, as if he was trying to comfort her. “It seems our little prince is trying to tell you something.”

Emma smiled. “You’re right.”

“And he’s falling back to sleep, we should put him back.”

“Unless he slept with us.”

Regina sighed. “You’re starting something…”

“He’s just a baby, he won’t remember.” Emma pouted, giving her wife her irresistible puppy dog face

Regina smirked, her wife was sometimes just too adorable for words. “Alright, alright.”

* * *

The next morning, Regina woke up, glancing over at her wife and son. Henry was awake, but wasn’t crying. Instead, he was playing with Emma’s curls and softly cooing. Emma, who could sleep through a hurricane, didn’t even stir. The raven-haired beauty smiled, stroking his cheek, which caused the baby’s attention to shift.

 

“Good morning my sweet prince, I can tell you’re trying to wake Mama, but I’m afraid nothing will. Come on, let’s get you ready,” she gently picked him up and headed into the nursery to change him.

 

Soon, Emma was awake and they took turns looking after their son so the other could get ready for the interviews. Finally, they began. Most of them were downright horrible and Emma began to wonder just how unhappy she could be as a stay at home mom.

 

“Maybe it’d be worth it,” she told Regina as they set out some more tea.

“Emma.”

“Seriously, you were right, none of them are qualified to take care of him.”

“We still have a few more.” Regina consulted the list. “And what do you know, Ashley’s next.”

Emma slowly nodded, lifting Henry into her arms. “What do you think buddy?”

 

He just stared up at her and she made a face at him.

 

“Some help you are, kid.”

Regina laughed as the doorbell rang. She opened it and found a petite blonde standing there, dressed in nice jeans and a blouse. She smiled brightly at Regina.

“Hi, you must be Mayor Mills, I’m Ashley Boyd,” she extended her hand.

“A pleasure,” Regina replied, shaking it. “This is my wife, Emma Swan, the town’s sheriff.”

“Of course, very nice to meet you,” Ashley responded, shaking her free hand.

“You as well. This is our son, Henry.”

“Well hello there Henry,” she said with a smile. “Isn’t he just a little bundle of perfection?”

“Thank you, why don’t you come on in.”

 

The couple lead the perspective nanny into the den and they all settled down.

 

Regina consulted her sheet. “So, Miss Boyd, you ran your own daycare for how many years?”

“Eight. I loved every moment of it, the kids were great and getting to interact with the parents was an added bonus,” Ashley told them.

“And you left because you got married?” Emma asked.

“Yes, it was so hard to leave the families behind. It’s why I wanted to nanny while we were here.”

“What we’re looking for is to have someone basically care for him while we’re at work, it’s a live out. I normally work the day shift,” Emma explained. “About 8 AM to 5 PM, so we’d need you from 7:30 to 5:30. There may be times I work the second shift…”

“In which case, you won’t be needed, but we will give you plenty of notice,” Regina continued.

“We understand he’s only 6 months old so he can’t very well do much but we don’t want him watching a lot of T.V. A little is fine, but we’re in walking distance from a park and the beach,” Emma said.

“Oh of course, I’m sure if you chose me that we could find lots of fun stuff to do,” Ashely told them with a smile. “And he’s on formula?”

“Yes, we’re starting to introduce some table foods, but very slowly. He’s got a predisposition to asthma, which isn’t exactly related, but it makes us cautious,” Emma replied, looking down at the chubby baby in her arms.

“Completely understandable, you tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.” Ashley hesitated for a moment before going forward. “May I hold him?”

“Of course,” Regina said. She gave Emma a look and the blonde bit her lip before carefully handing her over.

“Don’t be scared if he cries, he’s pretty attached to me and Gina…”

But Henry didn’t cry, he just gazed up at Ashley smiling. She smiled back. “You know you’re cute, don’t you? You’re going to use those eyes to get away with so much.”

Regina laughed a little. “You’re probably right.”

“I understand your apprehension,” Ashley told them, gazing back up at the couple in front of her. “I have a daughter myself, Alexandra. She just started pre-school.”

“Right, I read that in your file.”

 

They chatted for about 20 more minutes, discussing expectations and Ashley’s experience in more depth, though occasionally the conversation was broken by Henry’s cries for attention. At the end of it, Ashely gave the baby back to Emma and waved goodbye.

 

“Well,” Regina said as she shut the door. “What do you think?”

“I think she was the best one. She didn’t seem too perfect that she was fake but she also was definitely interested in the job,” Emma glanced down at her son. “And the kid here seemed to take a shine to her.”

“He did, didn’t you my sweet prince?” Regina tickled her son’s chin, making him giggle.

“So, we check out her references but I think she’s the one.”

“She’s the one.”

 

A week later, was Ashley’s first day. Emma and Regina both got ready for work while she fed him his breakfast. They came down and found him being burped. Ashley turned and gave a big grin.

 

“Look Henry, your mommies are all set to go to work!”

Emma smiled slightly, feeling a bit of apprehension. “You have both our numbers, cell and work, plus Dr. Whale’s.”

“Yes and I’ll call if I have any questions or concerns, but I’m sure I won’t.  Feel free to call me as well, as many times as you want,” Ashely assured them. “I can send pictures too, if you’d like.”

“Of course,” Regina said. “We would love that.”

 

The mothers kissed their son on the cheek at the same time making him squeal.

 

“Have a good day, sweet prince,” Regina cooed.

“Mama and Mommy will be back soon,” Emma told him, giving him another kiss.

The raven-haired woman put an arm around her wife leading her out the door. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. I know he’s in good hands. And I’ll see him at five.”

“Exactly.” Regina kissed her pale lips. “Have a great day, my love.”


	3. Everything To Me

Regina stood a few feet away from the swing set at the park, watching while Emma pushed Henry in the baby swing. Their little squish was now 10 months old and getting more fun by the day. He babbled now and was crawling, which lead to them setting up a million and ten baby gates, along with baby proofing the entire house. Ashley seemed convinced he’d start walking early, just based by how determined he was.

 

It was weird, despite being adopted, he did seem to already be combining traits from both of his mothers. He could get loud like Regina did when she was being authoritive with her job, always seemed to be hungry like Emma and was stubborn and goal-oriented, just like both of them. They teased each other about it, but they loved how much he seemed to be like him. There were still light hearted debates about his future (Regina still stuck by lawyer or doctor while Emma had moved onto professional bodybuilder, which lead her wife to believe she wasn’t taking the whole thing seriously), but the raven-haired beauty really just wanted him to stay as little as he could forever. Those 10 months had flown by very quickly; it was hard to believe that soon he’d be a year old.

 

His first Halloween was quickly approaching and they had already picked out his costume: Woody from Toy Story. Emma was insisting on taking him trick-or-treating, despite the fact that he had all of 5 teeth and couldn’t even eat any candy. Though Regina suspected that it wouldn’t go uneaten with her wife’s sweet tooth.

 

The fact that they had those types of discussions pleased her. They could argue over how to best raise a child because they had one. As frustrating as it could be at times, Regina walked away from their banter smiling. She wasn’t sure if they would ever have a baby. Regina had never been one to think she needed to be with someone to have a child. After Daniel died, she thought she’d be forever alone. He had been her one true love, or so she thought until she met Emma. In her mid-20s, she had tried to use a sperm donor to get pregnant. After several failed attempts, she met with a doctor who told her that she had an unexplained infertility disorder. The unexplained part is what bothered her the most, there may have been something she could’ve done if she knew. Once she met Emma, they both knew that they wanted children, but she wasn’t sure about adoption and watching someone else being pregnant when she couldn’t, as selfish as it sounded, bothered her. Emma always said, all they needed was each other. And then, like a miracle, they got Henry.

 

She was so entranced in her own thought; she hadn’t noticed a young woman come up beside her. She had brunette hair and green eyes, wearing a jean jacket over a black hoodie along with jeans and Chuck Taylors. Regina glanced over when she felt her presence and noticed that she was staring at the swing set. Emma wasn’t the only parent there, there was a younger man, probably around the girl’s age pushing a little boy as well, he was a tad older than Henry.

 

“It’s a beautiful day,” the mayor commented.

“Oh yes, it is,” the girl said, trying to sound confident.

Regina smoothed down her pea coat. “Is that your son?” She asked, nodding over at the man and baby. The girl herself looked no older than 18, but the woman reminded herself that people had babies younger these days, accidents happened.

The girl suddenly turned pale. “Um, no.”

 

Regina’s eyebrow arched and she began to go into protective mama bear mode. Despite living in a small town and being the mayor, she was wary of people. Of course, everyone tried to hold and touch Henry, but she kept a barrier in between herself and them. Emma was a little more relaxed and always told her wife that they just meant well. But never had she experienced this before. She hadn’t seen this person before and she knew practically everyone. Sure, occasionally people would come from bigger cities for a Saturday afternoon in a small town, but this seemed weird. Who went to a park to watch the swings if they didn’t have a child themselves.

 

“Then why are you standing here?”

The brunette blushed. “Um…well…”

Emma walked over, having seen her wife’s face and fearing she was about to rip a new one into an innocent girl. Henry was nestled in her arms, bundled up for the late October winds. “Gina, what’s going on?”

“I’m just asking this girl if she has no children, why is she here watching them.”

This sparked Emma’s curiosity and she raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I should phone Graham, being the sheriff and all.”

“Wait,” the girl threw up her hands. “My name is Veronica, well, Ronnie, Ronnie Davenport.”

 

The blonde’s eyes grew as large as saucers. She recognized that name. It had been on all the documents; it had been the name she had her old friends in the FBI research after Henry came into her lives. She held on tightly to her son.

 

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Regina said.

“Regina, this is Henry’s birth mother,” Emma whispered.

Regina’s eyes widened and she stared in shock down at the young girl, before looking back at her son. They had the same eyes and nose. How had she not noticed this before? For so long, whenever she was in a crowd, she’d wonder if every single young woman she ran into had been Henry’s mother, especially if they had green eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I just…I wanted to see him,” Ronnie said.

“Do you know what a private adoption is, Miss Davenport?” The raven-haired woman asked. “That’s what you agreed to by dropping him off at a Safe Haven location, in nothing but a diaper and blankets in the middle of winter.”

Tears gathered up in Ronnie’s eyes. “I know, I know.”

“How did you find us?” Emma asked, holding tighter onto Henry. The baby was oblivious to it all and was playing with the curls that cascaded from his mother’s knit beanie. “Our lawyer said all they would do is tell you that he was adopted.”

“The newspaper, after you two took him in, there was a story.”

 

Emma winced. She remembered it well. It had been big news that the mayor was adopting a Safe Haven baby with her wife. The sheriff had been less than pleased. She didn’t want Henry’s story out there; it was his and his alone to tell, if he wanted to someday. Regina had agreed, but as the mayor, she said it came with the territory. It hadn’t reached nationally, but Emma did remember her parents in Boston sending her a copy of the article in their paper.

 

“I’m not here to do anything, like try to get him back or anything…” Ronnie started to say but was briskly cut off by Regina.

“You couldn’t even if you wanted to.  _We’re_  his mothers.” She placed a protective arm around her wife’s waist.

“I know. I just…after I gave him up, I went back to college in Boston. I live about two hours away and since I’m home visiting…I just wanted to see him. Just once. He’s so adorable.”

“Yeah, he is,” Emma replied, stroking her son’s chubby cheek.

“You have to know…I was desperate, only eighteen. I did love him; I just couldn’t do it.”

The blonde nodded. She didn’t want to feel sorry for this girl, but she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t a wicked person, just a lost teenager who was doing what she thought was right. “Okay.”

“Could you…could you tell him that?” Ronnie requested, sticking her hand in her pockets. “That I was just trying to give him his best chance.”

Regina went to say something, probably not the nicest, but Emma spoke up before she could. “We will.”

The brunette smiled. “Thank you.”

“But this has to be the only time you do this we’re not going to hide that he’s adopted, but you can’t just show up whenever you want,” the blonde continued. “I understand you’re young and we owe you so much thanks for giving him to us, however this isn’t okay. It’s not the right way to go about this.”

“I understand, I thought about calling, I was just afraid.” She glanced over at Regina, as if she knew that she was right to be. “I won’t do it again, I promise.”

“When he’s old enough,” Regina interjected. “We will tell him your name. He’ll decide what he wants to do with that. Is that alright?”

Ronnie nodded. “Yes, of course.” She looked over at Henry. “His name is Henry, right?”

“Yes, Henry Daniel.”

She smiled. “Great name.” A shallow breath escaped her lips before she leaned over to kiss his forehead. Emma thought about pulling him away, but decided to allow it. “Goodbye, Henry, again. I know you have two great moms and you’ll continue to have an amazing life.” He giggled at her and grabbed her thumb, his trademark move. Tears spilled down the teen’s cheeks and even the stone-cold mayor felt her heart cracking a bit. “I love you, sweetheart.” She gently pulled away and turned her focus to her son’s mothers. “Thank you. I promise, this won’t happen again.” And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

 

The two women watched her, letting the feelings sink in. They had always wondered if their son would choose to seek out his birth mother one day, they didn’t expect to be sought out.

 

“Well, that went better than I thought a reunion would,” Emma muttered.

“Yes, I suppose.” She took Henry from Emma and snuggled her face against his. “She looks like him.”

“I know,” the blonde ran her hand through her curls.

“How’d you know that was her name?”

“When I saw her name on the papers, I had some friends run a background check on her. Just to make sure we weren’t dealing with a drug addict or anything. Nothing came up, she was raised in Augusta, Maine, two parents, B average in high school, no criminal record.”

“I always pictured a monster,” Regina mumbled.

“She was just a scared teenager who wanted to do the right thing for him.”

“Well she did. She gave us our son.” She was quiet for a minute. “Did you mean what you said? About telling him that she wanted to give him his best chance?”

“Yes. He deserves the truth. No matter what, we will always be his mothers.”

“You’re right,” she put her free arm back around Emma. “Why don’t we bring him to Granny’s? I think it’s time we all got some food into us.”

“Now how can I say no to that?” She pecked her wife’s lips and grabbed Henry’s stroller. “I’m assuming you’ll be holding him the whole way?”

“Yes, I’m not ready to let him go.”


	4. Never Forget I Love You

Regina wasn’t sure why she had agreed to this dinner. She was exhausted between her duties at the mayoral office and chasing around their 2-year-old. But one of Emma’s old colleagues from the FBI was in town and she hadn’t seen her since she resigned. Regina would much rather be putting on pajamas, ordering takeout and pouring wine, but instead she changed out of one dress into another. Henry sat on the bed, holding his teddy bear while he watched Inside Out on their T.V.

 

“Mommy pretty,” he said.

Regina smiled. “Thank you, Squish. You’re going to be good for Ashley?” The little boy nodded. “That’s what Mommy likes to hear.” Emma stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a little black dress, her curls straightened out. “And wow, that’s what Mommy likes to see.”

Emma giggled, pulling her wife close and gently kissing her. “Thank you for agreeing to tonight. I know you’re exhausted, I am too. This is just the only night that Heather is in town.”

“It’s fine, I like meeting your old friends.”

 

It wasn’t long before the nanny showed up to take over. Emma and Regina gave their son about a million kisses and promised to come say goodnight once the evening was over, but reminded him to go to bed when Ashley said. Soon, the couple was pulling up in front of one of the nicest restaurants in Storybrooke. Emma linked an arm through Regina’s, giving her a smile. It wasn’t often that they went out alone anymore, unless it was for some mayoral banquet. The sheriff and mayor just had their hands full between work and their son. Deep down, Emma knew Regina wished their one date night in months didn’t have to be shared with someone else. She planned to take her out the following weekend to make up for it. They hated being away from Henry, but it was crucial for their relationship.

 

“Emma!” Heather called out, walking to the table. Regina took her in, she was a beautiful woman, with red curls cascading down her back. She was very skinny, almost too skinny. Her green eyes sparkled as she threw her arms around the sheriff.

“It’s been too long,” Emma said, patting her back.

“I know, I haven’t seen you since you quit.”

“This is my wife, Regina.” Emma gestured to her and Heather gave her a fake smile. Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she shook hands with her. “She’s the town’s mayor.”

“Right, so great to meet you,” Heather said.

Regina’s job had prepared her for moments just like that. She faked a smile and used the voice she saved for annoying donors that she could not piss off. “You as well. Emma has told me so much about you.”

 

The dinner started off innocently enough. Emma and Heather played catch up for a bit, Heather going first. She didn’t have time for a relationship, her work seemed to be her entire life. Emma pulled out her phone to show pictures of Henry.

 

“He is so adorable,” Heather told them. “He’s 2?”

Emma nodded. “Yes. He’s our whole world.”

Heather spotted a picture and nearly cringed. It was from a day of baking in the kitchen. Emma wasn’t a great cook, but had wanted to make something nice for Regina for her birthday. Henry attempted to help and the two made a huge mess. Regina came home, finding the two loves of her life covered in flour, sugar and milk splattered on their clothes. She simply laughed and snapped a photo, later taking a selfie with them. “Look at you, all domestic and what not.”

Regina didn’t appreciate the tone of the FBI agent’s voice. “We have a lot of fun,” she said, coolly.

“I just don’t get it, Em,” Heather said, ignoring Regina. “This isn’t you. Back when we worked together, you said you didn’t want a family.”

Emma shrugged. “Things change, people change.”

“Don’t you ever think about going back into it?”

“Sometimes.” Regina cast a look at her wife, she had never known that. “But at the end of the day, I want to be able to see Henry grow up. We all knew agents with families, they were never there. It destroyed many marriages. I don’t want that for me and Regina.”

 

The mayor knew she should smile, but she was now in an incredibly bad mood. She sipped her wine, doing her best not to pout. There were times when she did wonder what Emma was doing with her. Yes, Regina was a woman of power. But she was the woman of power in a small town. Emma had gone from solving murder mysteries to being the sheriff in a place where there wasn’t much to do. It didn’t mean the job wasn’t hard, but the scare factor wasn’t there. Emma had resigned from her old job, for her, so they could stay together. She did it rather quickly and it used to be something Regina viewed as romantic. Now, hearing that Emma had thought about returning to her old career, she wondered if she was a burden.

 

After they got married, Emma said she wanted kids but when that proved to be a struggle, she seemed to give up easily on the idea. She had been the one to find Henry for them, but Regina wondered if given the opportunity, if the blonde would walk out on them.

 

As Emma drove home that night, she noticed that her wife was quiet. She didn’t quite understand why, but wasn’t sure what the problem was. She knew that Heather was a big mouth, that didn’t seem to be the problem. The silent treatment continued as they let Ashley off for the evening and before the sheriff could say a word, her wife was going upstairs to check on their toddler. Emma stood in the doorway as Regina leaned over the crib. Henry was fast asleep, holding his teddy bear tightly to him.

 

“Goodnight my little princess,” the raven-haired woman whispered. “Mommy loves you.” She turned on her heel and walked right past Emma. Typically, the two would stand in the doorway, watching him sleep, enjoying every moment of their baby boy. But tonight, she headed straight into their room.

 

Emma decided to let her pout as they dressed for bed and brushed their teeth. But once they were done, Emma hid Regina’s book and paperwork so she’d have nothing to do in bed. When the mayor walked over and noticed them missing, she glared at her wife.

 

“What are you doing?”

“We need to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Oh well, we are.” Emma gently pushed her down onto the bed and laid beside her. “Now, you can either tell me what’s wrong or I can start analyzing and guessing.” Regina was silent. “Alright, well you drank a lot of wine with dinner. Perhaps you’re still buzzed. Or maybe you’re upset with how much I had to drink? Although, it was far less than you. I know it was your turn to pay the check, but I figured since Heather was my colleague I could …”

“Damn it, Swan,” Regina cut her off, feeling frustrated. Emma smirked, she had known her rambling would get to her eventually. “Why are you with me?”

Suddenly, the blonde was confused. “What?”

“You had a great life, a life you loved. You could go out on all these missions and interrogate sickos. When you had free time, you spent in bars and having fun. Then you gave it all up to be with me, to start a family. Why? I know you don’t have half the excitement here.”

“Regina,” Emma took her hands into hers. “Did I love my old life? Yes. But I love this life more. I was so lonely, I had no one. Friends, yes, but nobody that I loved. When I met you, I knew that you were what I wanted. You meant more to me than some stupid job. I would gladly be a sheriff and write parking tickets for the rest of my life, if it meant being married to you.”

Regina’s eyes cast away. “You said that you thought about going back to it.”

Emma sighed. “Yes, there are times, quiet times, that I think about it. And then you come home from work and kiss me or Henry takes hits another milestone and I know that I’m happy here. That I wouldn’t want to miss a moment of our life. Things here could never be boring.”

“I just don’t want you to wake up one morning and think that we’re not enough,” her wife whispered in response.

The sheriff used her index finger to lift up her chin, looking down into her dark eyes. She knew how hard this was for Regina, to be vulnerable and share how she felt. But it was imperative, so they could work through it. “You and Henry will always be more than enough. You’re everything I ever wanted.”

Regina sighed, pulling away from Emma and sitting up straight. “I feel so stupid for letting myself get so upset.”

“Don’t, I know that Heather is a bitch.”

“She’s your friend.”

“She wasn’t a very good one and the way she talked to you tonight, about our lives, it wasn’t okay. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything then.” Emma stroked her cheek. “Never forget that I love you, okay?”

Regina gazed into her green eyes, feeling that sense of relief. All her life, people had left. Her mother left her father as a teen, next Danielle died and then her father. She couldn’t stand to lose anyone else. And she wouldn’t, Emma was hers. They had a life together. Did it get mundane at times? Yes, but it was still their life. “I love you too.” Their lips collided and it seemed that neither wanted to be the first to pull away. The radiation that seemed to pull from them both, was enough to keep them warm, to feel safe and protected.

 

Before Regina could move to do anything else, Emma pushed her backwards, climbing atop her. She slowly removed Regina’s night shirt.

 

“Emma…”

“Let me show you just how much I love you.”

 

Later that night, the couple was awoken by cries coming from their son’s room. Regina got out of bed, throwing her top and panties back on. Emma did the same, anticipating what was coming. Regina headed down the hall, scooping up the toddler.

 

“What’s wrong, Squish?”

“I wan’ Mommy and Mama,” he whined.

The mayor could decipher that he had a nightmare and just didn’t know how to vocalize it. “Okay, little prince. Come with me.”

 

She carried him back into her and Emma’s room, putting him in the middle. The two women cuddled their son close. He snuggled into them both. Emma gazed over at her wife and son, a smile going across her face.

 

She was never letting go.


	5. Of Broken Arms and Banjos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we’re combining a few here. Erikalele07 and Kamloth wanted to see Henry get a dog, oncer4life11 wanted a Henry/Emma bonding day (I am going to get you that first word one shot too, I have it like half-written and I’m trying to finish it, but the muses are not speaking to me right now about it!) and Kamloth also wanted to see Henry getting hurt and Regina flipping out. So, we’re going to combine them all, you’ll see why as you read.

“Dogs are a lot of responsibility,” Regina told her 4-year-old son. It was the tenth time they were having the conversation that week alone. Henry’s friend Grace had just gotten a puppy and he wanted one too.

“But Mommy they’re so cute! And you can play with them, I won’t be lonely,” Henry guilt tripped.

Regina rolled her eyes. This puppy had taken the place of the request of a little brother or sister, preferably a brother. She and Emma had discussed adopting more children, but it was not the time. Nor were they going to do it, just because their son begged. “You’re not lonely. You have me and Mama, you have friends over all the time.”

“I still want a puppy.” He flashed her his big green eyes, pouting a little. Regina bit her lip, she had to stay firm. They really couldn’t get a dog, not then. What the little boy didn’t know was that they were planning on getting him one for his 5th birthday. That was still several months off.

“I’m home!” Emma’s voice carried into the kitchen. Henry ran to greet her, grinning like crazy.

“Mama!” He leaped into her arms and she hugged him tight.

“There’s my favorite little man,” she kissed his cheek several times. “How was your day?”

“Good! Miss Theresa thinks I’ll be reading soon.”

Emma beamed proudly. Henry was so incredibly smart. “Well that’s great, then you can read to me and Mommy at bedtime, help us go to sleep.”

“Okay.” He was quiet for a minute as she carried him into the kitchen. “Mama, can we please get a puppy?”

“Henry Daniel,” Regina warned. “Don’t ask your mother something I already gave you the answer to.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Henry, you know what we’ve told you.” She quickly cupped his eyes while she kissed Regina hello. The little boy had seen them kiss before, but was going through a phase where any couple kissing was gross.

He pushed her hands away. “Grace has one.”

“Yes, well that’s Jefferson’s problem,” the blonde replied. “Now come on Squish, don’t let this ruin your night. Tomorrow I have the day off, so we’re going to spend it together. Just you and me.” Henry’s eyes lit up.

“Really?”

“Really. We’re going to the aquarium.”

“Mommy too?”

“Mommy has to work, but she’ll meet us for dinner at Granny’s.” The little boy nodded, happily. “Alright, go wash up for dinner.” She settled him on the floor and watched him scamper out.

Regina gave her a smile, pulling her closer to kiss her again. They let it linger for a while, knowing Henry wouldn’t come back until called. “Thank you for not making me the bad cop.”

“How could I? We still need to do research on the dog.”

“Well as good as you’ve been, I’ve been quite naughty,” Regina said, using a little girl voice. “I may have accidentally lost all our pajamas.”

Emma cocked an eyebrow, smirking. “So we have to sleep naked?” The mayor nodded. “Well, then I guess you’ll have to be punished so you’ll remember where you put things.”

“Just how do you plan on punishing me?”

“Well for starters…” Emma cupped her wife’s rear end and went to say more when Henry’s little voice carried through from the guest bath.

“I can’t find the soap!”

The mayor huffed and pulled away. “Suppose my punishment is a surprise.”

“Looks that way.” Emma quickly kissed her cheek and headed back to help their son.

 The next morning, Regina left for the office early so when Emma felt jumping on the bed, she knew she was the one to deal with it.

 

“One little monkey, jumping on the bed…” she mumbled, her eyes still shut. “He fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said…” Her eyes flickered open and she sat up, pulling Henry into her arms, tickling him. “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Henry’s infectious giggle filled the room. “Mama!”

Emma smiled and stopped, ruffling his hair. “Did I sleep in again?”

“Nuh uh. The clock has an eight then a three and a zero.”

“That’s 8:30, kid,” she reminded him, gently. “Let me get ready and then I can help you, okay?”

 

After Emma showered and dressed, she headed into Henry’s room surprised to find him already dressed. He had done a decent job for his age, wearing jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, backwards. He was also wearing two different kinds of socks.

  
“Aw bud, did you get dressed all by yourself?”

Henry nodded. “I’m a big boy, Mama.”

Emma gave him a sad smile. “Suppose you are. You did good, let me just fix your shirt, Baymax is supposed to be in front.” She helped him turn the shirt around. “See, this way everyone can see him. Now, let’s get some breakfast in you and we can head out.”

 

After quick bowls of cereal, they were able to leave the house. Henry had brought Charming, his teddy bear, with him. He seldom went anywhere without it. There had been some close calls with him being left places, but they always seemed to find him. Regina and Emma had no clue why the little boy had named him Charming. He had the bear since he was a baby and the name came about a couple years later. They just went with it, sometimes it was best not to question the boy.

 

Henry was an odd kid sometimes, at only 4 he loved non-fiction books. He wanted to learn everything. His mothers simply encouraged it, knowing that a kid could never be too smart. They hadn’t been to the aquarium in a while, but it was still no surprise to Emma that he knew small facts about the different animals. Nothing that would get him an early marine biologist degree, but an impressive amount.

 

When they reached an area discussing whales with the pictures (they didn’t have any but Maine was known for whale watching), he began talking a mile a minute. “Whales are the biggest animal ever.”

“Oh?” Emma knew this, but indulged him like he was the teacher.

“Uh huh. Even elephants aren’t bigger. They’re so big. I wanna see a whale.”

“Maybe when you’re a little bigger you, me and Mommy will go whale watching.”

Henry grinned from ear to ear. “Cool!” He was quiet for a minute before talking again. “Can we get a pet whale?”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Henry, Mommy doesn’t even want us to get a puppy, why would she let us get a whale?”

“Because whales are cooler.”

Emma chuckled. “Oh kid…”

 

The sheriff allowed her son to drag her from tank to tank, letting him spend as much time as he wanted on each one. She didn’t mind. Doing this with anyone else and she’d be driven mad. But with Henry, she didn’t mind. Her son just got so excited about everything. She had joked with Regina when he was a baby that she couldn’t wait to be done with diapers and late night feedings. But she’d like to freeze him at that age. He was still little enough to want cuddles and thought that his mommies were the coolest in the world. He was mesmerized by everything. Still so sweet, so innocent. She just wanted to hug him tight and forbid him from ever growing up, from ever getting hurt.

 

Eventually, they made it through the entire thing. Henry didn’t seem at all tired, he was outgrowing his need for a nap. Emma simply bought them a late lunch in the cafeteria and figured he could run off his energy at the park. She settled down on the bench, keeping an eye on him. Regina would’ve been following him around. She was one the few mothers who still did that for the pre-school set while the others sat on the bench, watching from afar. But the mayor was overly paranoid. Emma couldn’t really blame her, but she did find herself a little more relaxed. Kids were supposed to get a few bumps and bruises. Henry only ever really got upset if they began fussing over him. If the blonde pretended she didn’t see it, he’d just run off and keep playing.

 

She was distracted for a minute, that’s all it took. Jefferson had walked over with Grace and she stopped to say hello and was about to tell Grace that Henry was by the slide when she heard her son screaming. She jumped up and ran to the source of it. Henry was laying on his side, clutching his right arm. Jefferson was not far behind with Grace.

 

“Oh my God, Henry, are you okay?!?” Emma asked, feeling panicked.

“My arm, it hurts Mama,” Henry sobbed. Emma slowly sat him up, first inspecting his head for injuries and came up clean. Next she tried to take his arm, only to have him scream out in pain. “Shhh, it’s okay. What happened bud?”

Henry sniffled. “I was pretending…pretending to be Baymax and fly, so I jumped off the slide.”

Emma sighed, shutting her eyes for a minute. “Oh Squish.” She gently gathered him up in her arms, being careful not to hurt him further.

“Do you want me to call an ambulance?” Jefferson asked.

“No, the hospital’s close by, thanks though.”

“Is Henry going to be okay?” Grace asked.

“He’ll be fine, sweetie.” Though, the mother wasn’t so sure of that herself. “Jefferson, could you please call Regina for me? You might have to ring the office, if she’s in meetings she won’t have her cell.”

“Of course, you just worry about Henry.”

She drove him to the hospital and carried him inside. Henry was still sobbing and crying out in pain.

 

“My son, Henry Swan Mills, he fell off the slide at the park. I think he’s broken his arm.”

“Okay, just fill out this paperwork and we’ll be right with you,” the nurse tried to push it over, but Emma shook her head. She rifled through her purse and found the insurance card, placing it down.

“There’s our insurance. I’m the sheriff, my wife is Regina Mills. As in the mayor. And if she finds out that you made our son wait…”

“I’ll go get the doctor.”  The nurse replied, slightly scared, standing up.

Emma let out a deep breath. “Thank you.”

 

The doctor appeared with another nurse a moment later with a tiny cot on wheels.

 

“Alright, we’ll take him right back to give him X-Rays,” the doctor said. Emma gently laid him down.

“Can I come with him?”

“I’m sorry Ms. Swan, but I can’t have anyone in the room. I’ll have a nurse get you set up in a room to wait for him.”

Emma sighed, knowing she couldn’t fight that one. She crouched down so she was at eye level with her son. “Sweetie, you have to go with the doctor. I need you to be my big brave boy, okay?”

“Mama, I want you!” Henry wailed. It was a pang to Emma’s heart.

“I know Squish, but the room is only big enough for you and the doctor. I promise I’ll be waiting for you when you get out and Mommy should be here by then too, okay?” Henry reluctantly nodded. “That’s my good boy. I have Charming too, you can cuddle him as soon as you’re done.”

 

The doctor pushed off the cot, taking Emma’s heart with him. A nurse placed a reassuring hand on her back and lead her to a room.

Regina stormed through the doors of the E.R and went straight to the desk.

 

“Where is my son?!?” She bellowed.

The nurse looked a little bewildered. She was new and hadn’t had time to know the mayor yet. “Your son?”

“Yes! He was brought here and if you want to keep your job, I suggest you tell me where he is!”

“I…I um…” The poor woman stammered. She had no idea who she was talking about it.

Regina’s anger was only building. “Why won’t you let me see my baby? What have you done with him?!?”

“Regina!”

 

The raven haired woman whipped around to see her wife standing there. Emma had heard Regina through several thick walls and rushed straight out.

 

“Emma,” Regina breathed, glaring at the nurse before running over. She threw her arms around her wife’s waist. “Where is he?”

“He’s getting X-RAYs.”

Regina nodded, slowly gaining composure. “She wouldn’t tell me where he was.”

“Did you mention who you were looking for?” Emma lightly laughed as her wife looked away. She turned to the nurse. “My apologies. My wife is just a little on edge right now.” She carefully lead Regina to the room where they were to wait.

“So what happened? Jefferson had to leave a message with my assistant and it got warbled.”

Emma sighed. “Apparently our son decided he wanted to fly and jumped off the slide.”

Regina ran a hand over her face. “Lovely. I thought he was our little genius.”

“Book smart, guess we have to work on the whole superheroes aren’t real, leave flying to the birds and planes, thing,” her wife replied. “I’m sorry Regina, I looked away for two seconds to talk to Jefferson and Grace.”

“Don’t, this could’ve happened even if you were right by him.”

“I don’t think he should be in trouble, technically don’t jump off playground equipment was never a rule,” Emma teased.

Regina rolled her eyes. “No, I just think we’ll wrap him in bubble wrap until the end of time.”

“Sounds good to me.”

 

Soon, Henry was being pushed in. The nurse helped him up onto the cot in the room and left them be, saying the doctor would be back soon. Regina hugged her son as tight as she could without hurting his arm.

 

“Hey Squish. You were very brave, weren’t you?”

Henry sniffled. “I wanted you and Mama.”

“I know, but we’re here now.” She kissed his nose.

 

The doctor entered the room and put up the scans.

 

“It seems Henry has fractured his arm; it won’t require surgery but we’ll put it in a cast. No more playing at the park for a couple of months, kiddo.” Henry pouted, though he did cheer up a bit when he got to pick the color of the cast. He selected red because it matched his mama’s jacket. After it was put on and they got instructions to come back and have it removed, Regina carried her son out.

 

They decided to get takeout from Granny’s so he could rest. But on their way back to the bug, they came across a box marked “FREE”. It didn’t look like it belonged, as the only pet store was blocks away. The blonde peered inside and found a chocolate lab puppy. She scooped him up and he instantly began licking her face. Henry saw the dog and his eyes lit up, looking up at his other mom. Regina’s eyes narrowed, knowing she couldn’t possibly say no.

 

And that is how Banjo was added to their family.


	6. The Hard Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Combining two requests from Silver Water 7, figured both of the things you wanted Henry to ask would fit under one thing.

Emma and Regina both noticed that something was off with Henry after Neal’s birthday party. It wasn’t that their 5-year-old was tired, just quiet. He didn’t answer their questions about how it was or show them the contents of the goody bag, he simply went upstairs the minute he got home. At dinner, he didn’t say a word. They hadn’t stayed at the party and it was the first one they ever dropped him off at, so they were worried that something had happened. They trusted Mary Margaret and David, but maybe they had missed something.

 

They didn’t get their answer until a little later. It was their typical movie night and normally Henry would cuddle up in between his mommies. That evening he chose to sit on the floor. Regina felt a little pang in her heart, she wasn’t ready for her baby to have outgrown cuddles. The movie they had selected was “The Little Mermaid”. Henry loved all Disney movies, even the ones with princesses.

 

“Why don’t I have a daddy?” Those were the first 5 words they had heard come out of their son’s mouth in hours and they shocked Emma and Regina. They knew that they had to have the conversation at some point. Henry knew that he was adopted, ever since he was a baby they’d tell him “his story”. How Emma had discovered him at the station and brought him home and his mommies loved him so much that they made him their forever baby. That he was a lucky little boy because some kids only get one mommy and he had double the love. They weren’t naïve, they knew he’d ask at some point, they just weren’t sure when.

Emma quickly pressed pause on the movie and her and her wife moved to sit on either side of him. “Well, Henry…you do have a daddy. Kind of. Everyone has a daddy and a mommy to start off with.”

“Then where’s mine?”

“Well…I don’t know.” That much was the truth. Social workers had tried to find the birth father, but even the birth mother didn’t seem to know who he was. Eventually, they simply absolved whoever it was of any rights, since they had made an earnest effort to find him. Emma had even tried to use her FBI connections, but as powerful as they were, there was no way of trailing a teen’s sex life.

Regina took over. “You know your story? How Mama found you and brought you home, then we adopted you. You’re our forever baby. You didn’t grow in our tummies, you grew in our hearts.” She gave him a small smile.

“But I don’t have a daddy. Grace has one, so does Neal.”

His mothers realized what this was all about. He had witnessed a whole birthday party with David probably doting on Neal, he was an amazing father. Jefferson had also been there picking up Grace when Regina and Emma showed up. “Well sweetheart, just like the girl that carried you in her tummy, your biological daddy wasn’t ready to be a daddy. So, he let us take care of you,” Regina explained.

“But even Jolene has a mommy and daddy and she was adopted too,” Henry pointed out.

 _Damn this kid is good_ , Emma thought to herself. She decided to continue for her wife. “Henry, there are different kinds of families. Some kids have a mommy and a daddy, some have two mommies or two daddies. Some just have a mommy or a daddy, not both. You have two mommies.”

 

The two women bit down on their lip while he let that sink in. They had been fearing this moment, fearing that they wouldn’t be enough. That he’d want a dad and not them. They surrounded him with positive male influences like Jefferson, David and Killian. He spent time with Emma’s father whenever he’d visit. But at the end of the day, he didn’t have a daddy at home. Neither parent was afraid to do “boy stuff”, especially Emma, who had been a tom boy growing up. But was that enough? Could it be enough?

 

“We love you, Henry,” Regina told him. “So much, you are the center of our world. And neither of us can be a daddy to you, but if you ever feel like you need to talk to a guy, you have David or Jefferson, even Killian.”

Henry shrugged. “I don’t really want a daddy. I was just wondering. Having two mommies is great.”

 

Relief washed over the sheriff and mayor. They pulled him into a tight group hug, smothering his face with kisses. The little boy didn’t understand why they were doing that, his mommies could be so silly sometimes.

 

“Our sweet little squish,” Regina cooed.

“Are you okay, Mommy?”

“I’m just fine.” She kissed the side of his head. “Now, why don’t you come watch the movie with me and Mama on the couch. You cuddle better than Mama.”

Emma pretended to be offended. “Hey now, I am totally good at cuddling.”

“Her arms are too muscly,” Regina joked.

“Mama’s good at cuddles, but Mommy is softer,” Henry pointed out, poking Regina’s belly. Emma smirked.

“Mommy is a little softer, isn’t she?”

“Are you calling me fat, Swan?” Regina grumbled.

“No, you aren’t even close to fat. You just have more curves and I love you for it.” She leaned over, kissing her wife.

“Eww, no kisses,” Henry complained. His moms laughed at him.

“But we can give you kisses, yes?” Regina asked.

“Uh huh. But no kissing each other. Yucky.”

 

The two parents shared an amused look as they carried him back to the couch. They snuggled on the couch, resuming the movie. Right around the time that Vanessa was turning back into Ursula, Henry decided he had another question.

 

“So, everyone starts out with a mommy and daddy?”

“Yes, two mommies or two daddies can’t have a baby on their own,” Emma explained, absentmindedly.

“Then how does a baby get in the mommy’s tummy?”

 

Regina and Emma looked up at each other. Regina mouthed “You cover it.” Emma shook her head and mouth backed “You!” Regina glared, clearly not wanting to do it. And if Miss Mills didn’t want to do something, she wasn’t going to. Emma internally sighed and looked down at her son, once again pausing the movie.

 

“Well, you see, men and women have different things that help the woman get pregnant.”

“What different things?” Henry asked.

“Just…things we can talk about when you’re older.”

“But why?”

“Because I said so.”

“But why are you saying so?”

“Hey Henry, do you want some hot chocolate?” Regina asked, suddenly. The little boy soon forgot all about the question and scampered off into the kitchen. The mayor stood up, winking at her wife. “You owe me.”

“That I do,” Emma replied, smiling.

 

They couldn’t hold off on the answers, but he was only 5. There was plenty of time to explain it all. For now, they could just enjoy the rest of their movie night in peace.


	7. The Next Phase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was requested by Kamloth for Henry to do something illegal and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I’ve made him about 14 here.

Emma hated the night shifts. As the sheriff, she made the schedules so she rarely had to work them anyway. But, Graham really needed to swap with her due to a family emergency. Henry was a teen by this point and Regina would be home, so she figured it wouldn’t do much harm.

 

A call came through the radio about a bunch of teens being spotted at the high school, spray painting the sides. The blonde let out a long sigh, this had been happening a lot lately. There had been budget cuts and certain departments were getting cut. Regina had tried her best as mayor to make sure everything got to stay, but even she was powerless. They normally gave the teens a free pass, detention at the most. They were just angsty teens who were going through a rough period. It was never the same group, so obviously, they were learning their lesson.

 

On her way to the school, Emma couldn’t help but feel grateful for her son. He was a good kid. At all of 14, while most of his friends thought their parents sucked and were uncool, he was still close to both of his mothers. They sensed a bit of a pull, but it was to be expected to some extent. He was sadly, growing up and he’d want to hang out with friends more. But his friends were good kids, they never got into any trouble. They were proud of him, their little squish. Emma hated to get cocky, but she wondered if some parents ever paid any attention. She always seemed to know just what her son was going to do. How could others not?

 

The sheriff was about to get a hearty helping of crow that evening.

 

She parked by the school, grabbing her flashlight and heading to the side where the school had begun to give up on repainting until the vandalism died down. The toxic smell of spray paint entered the woman’s nostrils and she flinched. She hadn’t exactly been a model kid, but the cans were never her go to. The stench made her want to gag.

 

“Alright guys, Sheriff Swan,” she called out, shining the flashlight towards the group. The kids were wearing hoodies and jeans. They all dropped their cans immediately and almost all of them dropped their cans, lowering the hoods. All, except one at the end. She shined the light in each one’s faces, recognizing them. They had been by the house a few times. In fact, all of them had. She begun to get a sinking feeling in her stomach and it did not come from the spray paint. The gang was literally all there…except Henry. She reached the last boy and flashed the light on his shoes. Grey Nikes. The hoodie was black, with the school’s logo up the sleeve, with a bleach stain. Henry had attempted laundry and done the same to his.

 

_Come on, kid. No. Tell me they made a new friend, a new friend with your shoes and sweatshirt._

Taking a deep breath, Emma threw back the hood and shined the flash light in the kid’s face. Sure enough, those green eyes, those cheeks which had long lost their baby fat.

 

That was her Henry.

 

He gave her that smile and for a minute, he seemed 5 years old again. It was the same one he gave her when he was caught sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar or letting Banjo run through yellow paint and then all over the hardwood floors. That sweet, innocent smile that said “You can’t really be mad at me, can you Mama? I’m so adorable.”

 

But she could. She definitely could.

 

“Hi Mama,” he said, nervously.

Emma stared at him for a minute longer, unsure of what to say. Finally, she moved the flashlight out of his face and turned to the others. “I’m calling your parents and the principal. I’m unsure of what your punishment will be of yet. I am getting tired of one of us coming down here to talk to you kids. This isn’t your property, you don’t get to deface it.” Henry rarely heard his mom talk like this. She was authoritive, clearly angry, but still quiet. That was when he knew he was really in trouble. “Don’t even think about running unless you want to embarrass yourselves.”

 

She pulled out her phone and conveniently had all their parents’ numbers. She then made a call to Leroy, one of the officers.

 

“Hey Leroy, I’m sorry to call you so late…can you cover the station? Something’s come up and I have to end my shift early.”

 

Henry gulped. So, they were going to handle it then, at home. He had been hoping that since it was her shift, it would wait ‘til morning. Leroy evidentially agreed, because Emma was thanking him profusely and promising him extra coffee the next day. By then, the parents were arriving. The principal said he would deal with the offenders the next morning. She watched one by one as they were picked up. Some gave her a side eye when they spotted Henry. The sheriff  _and_ mayor’s son getting in trouble? Some judged, others just felt sorry, for both the kid and his mothers.

 

Finally, Emma pulled out her phone one last time. She had still yet to say a word to her son, letting him know just how mad she was. Regina picked up on the third ring, sounding tired and a little annoyed.

 

“Emma? Why are you calling so late? Has something happened? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she assured her wife. “But the school had another vandalism.”

“You woke me up for that? In other news, grass is green and the sky is blue.”

“I want you to get up and go into Henry’s room.”

“Why? He’s sleeping.”

“Just go, I’ll wait.”

 

Emma stifled a laugh at the grumbles Regina made as she got out of bed and padded down the hall to their son’s room. She could hear a door open and then a gasp.

 

“Emma, he’s gone! His bed hasn’t been slept in and his window’s open!”

Emma knew her wife was about to picture the worst, so she quickly calmed her down. “He was with the group of students doing the vandalizing.”

“HE WAS WHAT?!?”

 

Henry heard that through the speaker of the phone and cringed.

 

“Yeah, I got Leroy to finish up my shift and I’m taking our felon home. I just wanted you to be awake when we got there.”

“Of course. I can’t believe he did this!”

“Me either, me either. I’ll be home soon.”

 

Emma hung up and took her son by the arm, leading him to the car.

 

“Mama, I can explain…”

“Don’t. Your mother is now awake and we’ll talk about it there.”

“But…”

“Henry Daniel, it would be in your best interest to remember your Miranda Rights. Anything you say right now can and will be used against you.”

Silence for a minute as she started the vehicle and pulled out. “So…does that mean I have a right to an attorney?” Emma cast him a glare and he shut up.

 

Soon they were back at the house. Henry slowly followed behind his mama. There were no good cop/bad cop when it came to them. Regina stood there, hands on her hips. She was wearing a robe, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. Even in just pajamas, she looked incredibly intimidating.

 

“So, you sneak out after I think you’re tucked in bed and sleeping soundly,” Regina started off, her voice also very quiet. “And in the meantime, you had snuck out. Of a second story window. How did you do that?”

“Well…I um, scaled the drain pipe.”

Regina’s brown eyes widened. “Do you know how dangerous that is?!? You could’ve fallen and broken every bone in your body!”

“I didn’t, though. I’m still here for you to scream at,” he mumbled. He quickly realized what a mistake that was.

“We have every right to scream at you, Henry!” Emma interrupted, walking so she was beside her wife. “You not only snuck out but did so to commit a crime!”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Vandalism is a crime! As the son of a sheriff, you should know better than this!” The blonde replied, aghast at his carefree attitude on the subject.

“This isn’t you,” Regina continued. “You’re a good, sweet boy…”

“I’m not a boy anymore!” Henry exploded. “I’m 14, I’m not a baby! No matter what the two of you may think!”

The two mothers eyed their son with shock. He had some teenage temper tantrums, so that wasn’t new, but the words were. “What is that even supposed to mean, Henry?” Emma asked.

“You two always call me kid or Squish or whatever stupid nickname you can think of, you always want to know what I’m doing or who I’m doing it with! I can’t breathe!”

“Yes Henry, you’re right,” Regina responded, trying her best to keep her cool. “We do need to know what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with because you are still a child. You may be a teenager, but that does not make you an adult. We are your mothers and it is our job to keep you safe, which means rules.”

“If that bothers you, tough,” Emma agreed. “The nickname thing, we can try to work on. But going off and committing a crime just to prove that you’re a man isn’t doing anything. You want to get treated like a teenager, act like one. Tonight, proved that we do still need to treat you like a child.”

Henry rolled his eyes. “You two are just looking for any reason to keep me a baby!”

 

Did Regina and Emma want Henry to grow up? No. They wanted him to stay their little boy forever. But they were realistic, they knew it had to happen and they had accepted it. This had nothing to do with any of that.

  
“You can look at it that way, but this little tantrum isn’t helping matters,” Emma replied, calmly.

“You’re grounded. Two months. No going out with friends, no T.V, no video games or comics, computer for school and you come home right after classes let out,” Regina added.

“But I had plans for next weekend!” Henry protested.

“Oh well. Should’ve thought about that before you snuck out to commit a crime.”

“What were you guys even protesting?” Emma asked, curiously. “You’re not in a club that got its funding cut.”

“Still sucks that funding’s getting cut in general,” Henry replied.

“Falling on the sword for someone isn’t noble.”

“Whatever.” Henry rolled his eyes.

“Don’t disrespect your mother,” Regina said. “I’m not a fan of this attitude.”

“And I’m not a fan of either of you right now,” the teenager retorted.

 

Emma grabbed hold of her wife’s arm before she could explode further.

 

“Alright, go shower and get that smell off of you, then change into pajamas and go to bed and actually STAY there,” the sheriff told him. “And you just added another month onto your punishment for sassing.”

“Ugh! I hate you both!” Henry stomped up the stairs. A moment later, a door slammed followed by the sounds of running water.

 

Regina put her head in her hands. Emma slowly rubbed her back, feeling the same thing.

 

“Remember when he was little and I used to get upset when he would try to sneak treats or let that stupid dog make a mess?” The mayor asked.

“Yeah?”

“I would gladly take those days back.”

Emma sighed. “I know. But it’s just a phase.  He’ll get over it and we’ll be stronger mothers as a result.”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen. We have the good kid.”

“He’s still a good kid, he just made some bad choices tonight.” Emma let out another sigh. “Though, I get the thought. After I got the call, before I knew what kids were there, I thought about how lucky we were. That we would never get a call like that about our kid. Because our son is awesome and listens and what is wrong with parents who let their kids do that?”

“Crow, serving for two…” Regina mumbled. Emma cracked a smile.

“Yeah.”

The raven-haired woman looked up at her wife. “When he was little, we had to watch over him at all times, hover constantly, check on him when he was sleeping…guess it’s back to that.”

Emma laughed in spite of herself. “Guess so. Welcome to parenting a teenager.”

“Our wine budget will need an increase.”

“Already on it, love.”

Regina gave a small smile, kissing her. “If he’s going to turn into a pubescent monster, I’m glad I have you to help me through.”

“Same babe, same.” Emma gave her another kiss and let it linger for a bit.

 

After about 45 minutes, they knew Henry was done with his shower and back in bed. The two headed up to his room and saw him curled up under the covers, his back to the door. They walked over, each kissing his head.

 

“We still love you, Squish,” Emma said, ignoring his rant about the nickname. “No matter what.”

“That’s why we’re doing all of this,” Regina added. “Sweet dreams.”

 

They received a grunt of acknowledgment and considered it a win. Their son was under all that teen angst somewhere. They’d dealt with terrible 2s, the awkward questions stage, the pre-puberty problems. This was simply the next phase and somehow, they’d all survive.


	8. A Baby For Christmas: One Year Later

Regina had heard the complaints over the years from people with December birthdays. They said it got lumped with Christmas. The closer the date, the worse it got. She always felt pity and made sure to wrap those gifts in birthday wrap, but never put more thought into it.

 

Until she and Emma adopted Henry. Little Squish had been born December 23rd, coming into their lives on Christmas Eve. As his first birthday approached, she was very nervous that no one would show.

 

“He won’t even remember,” Emma told her as they walked out of the bakery, having just ordered their son’s cake. He was bundled up in a warm, fluffy jacket, meanie and thick pants for good measure, little mittens on his hands, boots on his feet. The only part you could make out of him in the stroller was his squishy face.

“There will be pictures, plus, we’ll remember,” Regina replied.

“Look, he can’t control his birthday. It sucks but it’s true. If anything, when he gets older we’ll have it after the New Year.” Emma turned the stroller to avoid someone speeding by on foot. “Watch it!” She hollered.

Regina wasn’t even phased by her wife’s outburst. “I just feel bad, you have an October birthday, mine’s in February. Poor Squish has to share his with a jolly fat man.”

“I’m more concerned about how spoiled he’ll be. My parents sent birthday and Christmas presents. It’s all too much.”

“He’s not spoiled, just loved.” She poked her head into the stroller. “Aren’t you, sweet prince?” Henry giggled and reached his little hand up to her, babbling.

“I wonder what his first word will be,” Emma said as they reached the mayor’s office.

“It’ll be Mommy of course. Can you say that, Squish? Say Mom-ee, Mom-ee,” Regina sounded it out for him.

“No, it’ll be Mama, right kid? Ma-ma,” Emma said with a smirk.

Regina rolled her eyes. “You wish. Alright, Mommy must go back to work.” She kissed Henry’s beanie clad head and then Emma’s lips. “See you tonight?”

“See you tonight. Say bye-bye, Henry.” She reached down to make him wave as her wife walked inside. “Alright buddy, let’s go home.”

 

Emma had to work the night shift, so Henry was all alone with Regina late r on. The mayor didn’t enjoy the quiet, it reminded her of her life before the sheriff. She had been Storybrooke’s youngest mayor at the age of 30 and for 3 years, after negotiations and meetings, she’d head home to the empty house she regretted buying because it was too big. But now, at 36, her life had changed for the better. Emma and her had been married for three years and they had their son. So even with the lonely nights, she knew they weren’t permanent. Soon enough Henry would be able to stay up a little later and keep her company anyway when Emma had to work late.

 

She checked the evite list once Henry went down for the night. Mary Margaret and David had said yes, promising to bring their 2-year-old son, Neal. Jefferson and Alice would be bringing Grace. Henry’s nanny, Ashley was even going to attend with her husband, Thomas and their daughter, Alexandra. A few others had agreed to come as well but it was shaping up to be a small party.

 

“Better than nothing,” Regina murmured to herself. Emma was right, he wouldn’t remember any of it. It was just more of a celebration for them and all that they had accomplished in his short first year of life. It took six months before they were able to adopt him, after social workers spent so long trying to track down the birth parents to make sure rights were fully terminated. They juggled their careers with motherhood while also making sure their marriage stayed in tack. Both women had heard far too many stories of children driving couples apart, they weren’t going to let that happen to them.

 

But at the end of the day, the party was really just about the 3 of them. And as long as they had each other, everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Before either parent knew it, the big day had arrived. The 23rd fell on a Saturday and both mothers cleared their schedules. They made it clear to both their staffs that unless World War III broke out and the government was requesting in Storybrooke’s help that they were not to be bothered. Emma walked into Henry’s nursery and lifted him out of his crib.

 

“Happy birthday!” Henry giggled and grabbed at her curls. “Oh my baby, how are you a year old already?” She held him closer, nuzzling her cheek with his. “Seems like just yesterday I found you.”

“Probably your best excuse for being late, ever,” Regina teased from the doorway. She walked over, kissing her son’s cheek.

“Mommy was so mad at me at first but then she held you and the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day.” The sheriff smirked at her wife who just rolled her eyes and took the baby.

“Mama’s so silly, isn’t she?”

“Mama,” Henry repeated.

Emma and Regina exchanged a wide eye look. “Henry, what’d you just say?” The blonde asked.

“Mama!” Henry squealed. “Mama, Mama!” He held his arms out for Emma who grinned and took him back.

“Aw, my sweet baby!” She kissed his cheek and held him high in the air above her head. “You’re Mama’s baby!”

Regina rolled her eyes again, folding her arms. “It’s only because I was making fun of you, he was probably going along with the joke.”

Emma chuckled, returning Henry to a lower position. “Aw, Squish, I think Mommy’s a bit of a sore loser, isn’t she? You love Mommy too, don’t you? Of course you do, Mama’s just a lot easier to say.” The mayor still didn’t seem amused by her wife’s gloating so Emma put the baby inches away from her face, having him give her a kiss. This made the other woman soften a bit and she kissed her son back. “He’ll say Mommy soon.”

“I know,” she grumbled. “Congratulations.”

“You know, if Mommy gets in a better mood, Mama will give her a nice reward for being such a good girl,” Emma teased.

Regina’s eyes narrowed as she kissed her wife. “And if I’m naughty?”

“Mama still has something.” Emma winked and her wife laughed.

“Give me the baby so I can get him ready.”

 

A few hours later and the party was in full swing. Sure, there weren’t a lot of people but it contained those who had supported them over the past year. Mary Margaret and David had given them so much of Neal’s old stuff and were a fountain of baby tips, easing their friends’ minds. Ashley had been the best nanny they could ask for. She didn’t overstep but also clearly loved that little boy. Finally, despite being babies, Grace and Henry seemed to make great friends.

 

“I’ll never forget,” Mary Margaret said as they enjoyed some wine. “Getting a panicked call from Emma because Henry had this terrible rash…or so she thought. Turns out he had just gotten into some paint.”

Emma laughed, her cheeks turning pink. “How was I supposed to know? We’re just lucky he didn’t eat it.”

“A year certainly flew on by,” David added. “I personally won’t forget having to pack up that bassinet so quickly. Mary Margaret was so worried about that baby having nothing to sleep in.”

“You both were a huge help,” Regina told them. “I don’t know how we would’ve survived this past year without either of you.”

“You two did it mostly on your own,” Jefferson replied. “You’ve done a great job with him.”

“Definitely,” Whale spoke up. “I still remember when Emma brought Henry in for that checkup. She was already so protective of him.”

“You picked up on that?” Emma asked.

“You flinched every time I touched him and practically swiped that car seat as soon as I was done.”

The blonde laughed and hoisted her son onto her lap. “What can I say? From the moment I saw him, I know he was meant to be mine.”

 

The party went on longer than a typical one-year old’s probably would but the adults were just having too much fun. Eventually, the kids were getting restless, so one by one they all left. He had a pile of presents that they had opened, plus ones that would be waiting for him come Christmas from not just them but their friends and family.

 

Regina had been alone for a majority of her life, all she had before Emma was her father and since he got so sick in his last years, she still felt alone. But now she had her wife, her son and all their friends who had become their family.

 

The mayor changed her son into his cozy footie pajamas before gently settling him down in his crib, he was already half asleep. She stroked his chubby cheek, feeling her heart melt.

 

“Goodnight my sweet prince,” she whispered. “Mommy loves you.”

“Mom-ee,” Henry’s soft voice said before his green eyes shut.

 

Regina smiled as the tears trickled to her eyes. Second word. She’d take it.


	9. An Addition To The Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a future request dealing with Henry and a younger sibling, so to get there, I figured we’d do one with him getting one to begin with. As much as I love Swan Believer/Regal Believer, I love Dimples Queen just as much and there are some adorable BTS photos of Raphael and Jen, so Roland won.

Emma ran her hand up and down Regina’s arm, unsure of what to say. After Henry Sr. died, the mayor had been in overdrive mode to make sure that her father had the perfect funeral. They had seen the death coming, so it was easier to plan for and she knew that Regina had already mourned the man. Though one night, Emma came home to find her wife sobbing on the bathroom floor. She knew she wasn’t the type to need soothing words or much comfort, so she simply held her why she cried, changed her into pajamas and tucked her into bed.

 

This was a little different. Robin had been Regina’s roommate in college. He had been the one to pick up the pieces after Daniel’s death. He took Regina out drinking and other adventures to keep her busy. They became best friends and bonded for life. Regina had been the best woman in his wedding to Marian and Robin was her best man in her wedding to Emma. He lived a couple of hours away but the families attempted to meet up a few times a year. Especially when 2 years ago, Marian died shortly after the birth of Roland. Robin turned to the women for help and they did all they could. Henry was 4 at the time and loved helping out with the little baby, it seemed to calm his urges for a big brother.

 

During this time, the single father also asked his best friends if they would be willing to take Roland if anything happened. They understood why it was so important to him and agreed, though they assured them that of course his baby wouldn’t grow up without a father.

 

Unfortunately, that is not a promise that one can make.

 

The stop sign had been down, there was no way for the other car to know. Luckily, Robin had been headed on a blind date so Roland was at home with a babysitter and was completely safe. The older Locksley man had died on impact.

 

It had been 2 weeks since the funeral and all of the paperwork had been sorted, Emma Swan and Regina Mills were now the legal guardians of Roland Locksley. They did intend to adopt him when possible.

 

“You know, if you need me to take care of things, I can,” Emma whispered. They were waiting for the social worker to bring Roland. He had been spending the past few weeks with another friend of Robin’s while they got things settled out.

“No, I promised Robin I would take care of him.”

“We promised,” she reminded her.

“I’m going to be fine, for the boys.”

“For the boys.” She kissed her. “Just remember, you need to take care of you too or you’re going to burn out.”

Regina looked up at her, her brown eyes watery. “What if we’re not enough? He loved Robin so much.”

“We can’t replace him and we shouldn’t want to. But he’ll be fine. He is only 2, he’ll adjust.”

The mayor let out a deep breath, kissing her. “You always know what to say.”

“Former FBI agent, I’m really good at talking people down,” she gave her a soft smirk. A smile broke through Regina’s face. “There’s that smile.”

“I kinda love you, Swan. You know that?”

“I more than kinda love you, Madam Mayor and I know you know that.”

 

There was a knock at the door a moment later and Regina took a deep breath. Emma slid her hand into hers as they walked to the door, opening it. There stood the social worker, May, holding the hand of the tiny little boy. He saw Regina and smiled brightly.

 

“Gina!”

Relieved by the boy’s reaction, she scooped him into her arms. “Hey bud. I missed you.” She kissed his cheek while Emma took the bag from May. Robin’s friend, John, had already arranged for the rest of his belongings to be sent over during the 2-week period but of course had required his most favorite things while there.

“Well, the paperwork’s all set, so I’ll just leave you two to it. In terms of adoption, contact me once things have settled on.”

“Will do,” Emma told her. May shook hands with both of the wives before heading back to her car.

Roland smiled at the blonde. “Emmy.”

“Hi cutie pie. Why don’t we find Henry?”

“Henny! Henny!”

 

The women had done their best to explain the situation to their son. He understood the death part, it wasn’t the first time they had the talk. He already knew all about the two men he was named after, how Daniel died fighting for this country and Henry Sr. was very sick. It was Roland that was a bit of a thing. While he didn’t seem jealous, he didn’t understand how Roland was going to be his brother. He already had a daddy. The two women knew it was partially their fault because when explaining death, he worried that they were going to die. They explained that while yes, one day they would, they would always be his mommies and the day was so far off in the future.  So to the 6-year-old, he simply didn’t understand how Roland was going to still be Marian and Robin’s son, while also being his mothers’. Henry was adopted, but he never got to know his birth parents as Roland sort of had, they hadn’t given him up. Emma and Regina just knew that it was going to take time.

 

Regina followed Emma into the living room where Henry was playing with his trains.

 

“Squish, look who’s here,” the sheriff said. The little boy looked up and gave a small smile.

“Hi Henny!” Roland said.

“Hey Roland.”

“Maybe Roland could play with you for a bit?”

 

Henry shrugged and watched as Regina lowered the toddler onto the floor. His pudgy hands made a grab for Thomas and he pushed it across the floor. Henry typically loved playing with the little one, but things were different now. He was there to stay, forever.

 

They let him do whatever he wanted, Henry noticed. The little boy was able to watch as much T.V as he wanted. During lunch, he would talk with his mouth full and they didn’t correct him. He didn’t even get a time out when he pulled Banjo’s tail or tried to ride him, he was gently reminded to be nice. Henry decided to test limits and did the same thing 5 minutes later, only to get put in the corner.

 

Around 1, he trailed behind his mothers as they lead Roland to what used to be one of the guest bedrooms. He recognized the bed in there as his old one (a toddler bed), with his old teddy bear sheets. Emma and Regina had gotten him a bigger bed a couple of years back with dinosaur covers.

 

“Why does he get those?” He asked.

“Because you don’t need them anymore,” Regina explained. “You’re a big boy, Roland’s still little so he needs a little bed. Plus, you like teddies, don’t you Roland?” The toddler nodded.

“We don’t want him falling out,” Emma added, running her fingers over the short bars on the bed. “You’re big enough not to fall out of yours, right?”

Henry just scoffed. He couldn’t help but notice some of his old toys were in the room as well. They were ones he had long outgrown, he hadn’t even touched them in years but that still bothered him. He went to pick up one of them, but Emma gently took his hand.

“Squish, why don’t you go play downstairs? We have to put Roland down for a nap.”

 

The 6-year-old walked out of the room, though he hid behind the corner to watch his moms tuck in his new little brother. Emma read him a story, using her funny voices and Regina smothered his face in kisses. Henry no longer took naps and he didn’t want to, but they were supposed to do all of that with him.

 

The next few days didn’t make things any easier. The sheriff and mayor had delegated others to take over their offices so they could help Roland adjust. He was doing better than they thought, but chalked it up to their age. They did notice Henry was acting different and planned on doing something special with him, but the little boy chose to take matters into his own hands. He didn’t like sharing his mommies and if they were going to take care of someone else then maybe he would just leave.

 

He found his little suitcase from one of his trips to visit his grandparents and put in some clothes and toys. Banjo padded into the room and rubbed his nose against Henry’s arm.

 

“I can’t bring you Banjo,” the little boy told him. “You’re too big to fit in the suitcase. Plus, Mama and Mommy said I’m not allowed to touch your leash without them. But Roland will play with you.” The dog cocked his head, as if he was really listening. “Mommy and Mama let him get away with everything and he gets all my old stuff. I’m gonna go live with Grandma and Grandpa in Boston. There’s no other kids there and I have toys that are just mine.”

 

He threw in his teddy bear and zipped up the suitcase before going downstairs. Emma and Regina were both busy with getting Roland up from his nap, so they didn’t even hear the boy grabbing boxes of cookies and goldfish to bring along so he wouldn’t be hungry. But from the window, Emma saw the little boy walking down the sidewalk. She gently tapped Regina on the shoulder and showed her.

 

“What in Heaven’s name is he doing?” The mayor asked incredulously.

“Running away, I would guess.”

“How are you so calm?!?”

Emma smiled, softly. “Henry may get upset, but he still follows the rules. Ten bucks he won’t even cross the street because he knows he’s not allowed to do it by himself.”

Regina sighed, knowing her wife was right. “We should go after him.”

“Let me, you get Roland a snack.”

 

Emma headed out the door and headed in the direction she saw Henry go. Sure enough, she found her little boy sitting under a tree where the sidewalk ended, his little suitcase beside him.

 

“Hey bubba,” she called out, waving. Henry looked up and was scared his mama would be mad, but she looked completely normal. “Whatchya doing?”

“I’m gonna go live with Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Oh?” The sheriff walked over. “Why’s that?”

“Because there’s no other kids there.”

Emma slowly nodded as she sat beside him. “I see. Well, Mommy and I are going to miss you.”

“Nuh uh.”

“We sure will. We love our little squish so much. It’s going to be awfully quiet. I think Roland will be sad, too.” Henry shook his head. “He’s already crying. He wants to know where his big brother is.”

“I’m not his big brother,” Henry mumbled.

“Yeah, you are. You know it’s such a big job.”

“He has a different mommy and daddy.”

“You know, when you started out, you had another mommy.” Emma winced internally, hating to think of his birth mother as his mommy, but she had to keep it age appropriately. “Does that mean that I’m not your mama?”

Henry looked confused. “You are my mama and Mommy’s my mommy.”

“See? We all start off somewhere. Family isn’t built my blood, Henry. It’s about people that love you more than life itself. Like Mommy and I do you and Roland.”

The little boy was quiet for a minute. “He got all my old toys and my bed.”

Emma nodded. “Well, he’s only 2. You’re bigger so you get new stuff. It’s good to share with others who need it.”

“Fine. I’ll share my toys and bed. Banjo too. But I don’t wanna share you and mommy.”

Finally, they were getting somewhere. “Sweetie, you used to ask Mommy and me for a baby brother or sister all the time. What changed?”

“He gets away with everything! You never put him in time out. You like him more.”

“Oh Henry…” Emma pulled him onto her lap and snuggled him close. “Mommy and I don’t like him more. Like I’ve said, Roland is only 2. He’s still learning right from wrong. You already know you’re supposed to be gentle with Banjo and eat nicely. He’s still learning. When we put you in time out, it’s because you already know better. And we rarely have to, because you’re such a good boy. One day, Roland will go in there too. But know this, Roland being here doesn’t mean that we love you any less.”

 

Henry still didn’t look so sure, so Emma shifted him in her arms so he was looking at her.

 

“You know your story?” The little boy shrugged. “Oh, come on, of course you do. Mama was at work one day and Graham came running in telling me there was a…hmm…” She pretended to forget. “Was it a banana?”

Henry was clearly fighting off a smile. “No.”

“An elephant then, definitely an elephant.”

“Nuh uh.”

“An ice cream sundae? And then Mama and Uncle Graham ate it all up?”

Henry burst into a fit of giggles. “No, Mama! It was a baby!”

Emma smiled. “Oh, that’s right.  A baby. So, Mama looked at the little baby and she fell in love with him right away. She brought him home and Mommy saw him and they both decided that he would be their forever baby.” They had yet to go into all of the logistics of just how that worked…not to mention the immense legal trouble the two could’ve faced as the result. But the boy was only 6. “And they loved him so, so much that nothing could make them stop. Not even a new baby.”

 

Henry looked a little more confident by that point and was snuggled back into his mama.

 

“We love you Henry. Mommy and I have enough room in our hearts for both you and Roland. But just like you needed us back then, Roland needs us now. His mommy and daddy are in Heaven,” she reminded him.

“Like Grandpa Henry and Daniel?”

“Yes. So, he doesn’t have any parents and every child needs them. Do you think you could share us with him so he can be as happy as you?”

Henry nodded. “Okay, Mama.”

Emma grinned. “That’s my boy.” She laid a kiss to his cheek. “Roland’s going to need a big brother too. He loves playing with you and watching movies. He looks up to you a lot. Do you think you could be his brother?” Henry nodded. “Good. And no matter what, me, you and Mommy will still do stuff just us.”

Henry’s big green eyes looked up into hers. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

There was silence for a minute. “’m sorry I ran away.”

“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again, it made me, Mommy and Roland very, very sad. We’re not a family without our little squish.”

“Is Mommy mad at me?”

“No, kid. But you may want to give her a big hug and promise her you’ll never do it again.”

“’Kay.”

“Shall we go home? I think there are some cookies waiting on us.”

Henry looked sheepish for a minute and then he unzipped his suitcase. Emma couldn’t help but laugh, seeing all the cookies Regina had just bought at the market were on top of his messy bundles of clothes.

“You stole all the cookies? You little sneak.” She tickled him, letting his infectious laugh wash over her. She zipped his suitcase back up and stood, placing Henry on her hip. Keeping one arm around him, using her other to drag the luggage behind her, they headed home.

 

When the sheriff walked inside, Regina headed into the entry way, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

 

“There you are.”

“’m sorry Mommy,” Henry said, burying his head into Emma’s side.

Regina took him into her arms, delivering a ton of kisses to his face. “It’s okay, my sweet prince. Just don’t do that again.”

“I won’t, I promise. I’ll be a good big brother.”

The mayor smiled. “I know you will be.” She cuddled him for a minute more before looking down into his eyes. “Now, question…I went to give Roland some cookies and they were all gone. Do you know where they are?”

“I took them in case I got hungry on my way to Grandma and Grandpa’s.”

Emma pulled them from the suitcase along with the goldfish. “Think we need to hide these better.”

Regina laughed. “Obviously. Come on, I’ll fix you and Roland a snack while Mama unpacks everything.”

 

She took her son into the kitchen. Roland sat in his little booster seat at the table, coloring. When he looked up and saw Henry, he smiled.

 

“Hi Henny!”

“Hi Roland,” Henry replied, softly.

The toddler held up a picture. It was mostly scribbles with two circles, obviously meant to be people. “For you.”

Tears prickled Regina’s eyes. “Aw, look Henry, Roland made you a picture.”

Henry smiled. “That’s really cool, buddy.”

 

Regina settled Henry down in the chair by the little boy’s and went to get to work on the snack. In the meantime, she could hear Roland blabbering onto explain the picture, not much of it making sense. But Henry just smiled and kept saying “Cool” and pointing out the colors. The mayor didn’t turn around until all her tears dried up. She had always promised Robin to take good care of his son and that’s what she’d do now. Well actually, it’d be what  _they_  did…all three of them.


	10. Sundays With Mama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again combining two here: oncer4life11 wanted to see Emma and the boys have a Mama’s day and Silver Water 7 wanted to see Emma and Henry getting into shenanigans and Regina scolding her for it later. Hope you don’t mind little Rolo is joining them in that! Henry is 8 and Roland is 4.

Sundays were typically family day in the Swan-Mills household. It was the one day that Emma would almost always be able to schedule herself off on and Regina for the most part never had meetings, because most of the staff went to church and such. But one particular Sunday in April, there had to be a meeting. A big storm was due to come in that Wednesday and they needed to prepare in case it caused more damage than they realized.

 

“Mommy, you always stay with us,” Roland attempted to guilt trip his mother as she searched for her heels.

“I know sweetheart, but they need me at the office.”

“We need you too.” He pouted, adding to Regina’s guilt.

“Rolo, stop,” Emma told him. “You know Mommy would much rather be spending time with us, but things come up. We’ll just do something extra special next week, alright?”

 

The 4-year-old let out a long dramatic sigh before walking out of the room. Emma laughed and sat down on the bed.

 

“Don’t pay him any mind, you know you have to go.”

“I do, I just hate calling off a special day. I’ve read once you do it one time; it gets easier the others.”

“With our kids, that’s nearly impossible. Come here, Madam Mayor.”

“Emma, I have to get ready…”

“I said come over here and that’s an order,” she said, in her seductive voice. Regina smirked and walked over, sitting beside her. “You, are an amazing mother, a sexy wife and a badass mayor. You’ve been handling all three for years now and you’ll keep doing it. The children will be fine.” Emma kissed her wife and the two stayed like that for a moment until Regina slowly pulled off, her face still against Emma’s.

“I’m going to be late,” she whispered.

“You’re the mayor, they can’t start without you.”

“Mmm…as tempting as that sounds…” Regina got up and finally located the footwear she wanted.

Emma made a similar pout that her son had put on. “You owe Mama.”

“Yes, I suppose I do. Tonight. That is as long as I come back to everyone safe and sound.”

“We have two kids. I always take care of them. The day you come back and there’s only one, then you have a right to be concerned.”

“Is that right?” Regina kissed her and headed downstairs, Emma followed her. “Goodbye my babies, be good for Mama.”

 

Henry and Roland both threw their arms around her waist. She showered their faces with kisses.

 

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Mommy,” they replied in almost unison. That alone was enough to make her heart melt, she wasn’t sure just how they did it.

 

The mayor eventually pulled away from her kids and headed out. Emma noticed their suddenly forlorn faces.

 

“Aw guys, come on. Mama’s tons of fun too.”

“What are we going to do?” Henry questioned.

“I was thinking we could take Banjo to the dog park and let him run around, then maybe go to the festival and just have tons and tons of sugar for lunch.”

 

The boys instantly brightened and they ran off to get their shoes. Emma chuckled and grabbed Banjo’s leash, hooking it up to his collar. She knew Regina was not going to be happy about the sugar part, but she’d get over it. It was one day.

 

Soon, they were at the dog park. Banjo was pretty good off his leash and was able to run around and play with the other dogs. For the most part, the other dogs were also pretty well behaved and were fine with Henry and Roland petting them (though they had always been instructed to ask the owners first, to be gentle and to never chase after a dog that wasn’t Banjo). Roland ended up meeting a Jack Russell terrier by the name of Rolo and found it the most hilarious thing in the world.

 

“Mama, he has my name!” He told Emma, bouncing up and down.

Emma laughed. “He does? Does that make you a puppy, too?”

“No Mama, I’m a little boy!”

She grinned. “That you are.”

 

Henry had come across a German Shepherd, one on the bigger side. The sheriff knew the look in her son’s eye.

 

“Mama, can we…”

“No.”

“But…”

“Banjo is enough.”

“But he needs a friend.”

“You said the same thing when you wanted a little sibling.”

“And look at how well that turned out.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “The answer’s no, kid.”

 

That was meant with an eye roll. Henry was becoming more like her with each passing day. Sometimes it was good, other times…well she just prayed that she wouldn’t get paid back for her teen years.

 

After Banjo seemed to have his fill of running, they dropped him back off at the house and took the car into town. The festival was set up all along Main Street with tons of activities and booths with food. Emma decided that the best thing to do would to at least get one non-dessert food in the boys and tricked them into eating hot dogs by daring them that they couldn’t. Not her best parenting move, but it worked and soon they were moving onto cotton candy, frozen ices and candy. They got more treats than Emma was even planning on, but being the children of the sheriff and mayor along with being downright adorable to boot, the vendors were just offering it while they simply walked by.

 

“Your mother is going to kill me,” she mumbled as they tore into their chocolate covered pretzels (curtesy of Mary Margaret, who despite having a child around Henry’s age had insisted on helping their sugar intake).

“Mommy doesn’t have to know,” Henry told her.

“She’ll figure it out when you’re bouncing off the walls.”

“But it’s so yummy, Mama,” Roland said, his mouth full. He had a very dirty face, which just made Emma laugh and take a picture. She quickly grabbed some wet naps from her face and wiped his face, ignoring the nagging thoughts in her mind that she had turned into her own mother by carrying them around. She was a mom after all. Suddenly, Roland’s grubby hands were offering her one of his pretzels. She smiled and accepted it.

“Thank you, Munchkin.”

 

As they were heading back to the bug, they passed by the pet store. It was one of the few businesses that stayed open during the festival, as they figured kids would beg their parents to go in and look. Emma agreed to go in with the boys, just so they could pet the new bunnies that had been born just over a month ago. The boys headed straight for their favorite, a black one that had a white patch over his eye. They petted him and the owner, David, allowed them to feed him some food. Emma could tell that they were becoming very attached.

 

“Alright boys, come on, thank David and let’s get going.”

 

Their faces fell but they didn’t say anything. Both knew better than to ask for another pet, especially Henry. It took him so long to convince his mothers to get him Banjo and even that had been a case of sheer luck. Emma sighed, they were really good kids. And growing up, she had helped her mother breed rabbits. Maybe, just maybe…it wouldn’t be so bad if they got one too?

 

Before she knew it, she was having David get the bunny out and the boys were jumping around for joy. She purchased all the necessary items, as well.

 

“Most people just buy a cage and a small bag of food,” David commented.

“I used to breed these babies,” she explained. “Not that I’d do it again, but I know how to take care of them.”

“Good to know. So many buy them just because they look cute.”

“That’s the only reason why the boys want one. But they’ll soon learn.”

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent putting the indoor bunny hutch together while the boys played with him (informing Emma whenever it pooped…which was often). Banjo seemed to be okay with him and the bunny liked him.

 

“Alright boys, now it’s very important that we pick a name,” Emma explained once she was done.

“Hmmm…what about Felix,” Henry said. Emma gave him a Look, wondering where that came from. “Mommy had The Odd Couple on before work.”

“Oh. Well, what do you think, Rolo?”

“I like it,” Roland smiled as he pet the bunny.

 

Regina came home later that night, instantly noticing the mess of bubble wrap and boxes. Once in the living room, she saw a pizza box sitting in the center of the coffee table and the boys asleep under a blanket on the couch, Banjo nearby watching them attentively. That was enough to make her smile for a moment until she spotted a strange looking contraption. Inside was a…rabbit.

  
“Swan,” she whispered harshly.

Emma rushed in from the other room and saw her wife’s face. “I can explain.”

“Can you now?” Regina cocked an eyebrow.

“Well we went to the fair…and then stopped in the pet store, because you know Henry and Roland love the rabbits.”

“Uh huh.”

“And well…they just looked so sad when we had to go…plus David said that one had been ignored because he was mostly all black. Black animals tend to get overlooked, you know.”

“So you adopted another animal.”

“Kinda.”

“And the house is a mess.”

“I’m gonna clean.”

“The boys have sugar all over their faces.”

“I’m going to fix that too. They just had a lot of sweets at the fair.”

“Uh huh. So…are you like their big sister or their mother?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Regina.”

“Because you sure acted like the former today,” she retorted, keeping her voice low so to not wake the boys.

“I just wanted to give them a good day.”

“There are other ways of having fun.”

“You act like I took them to snort some crack in an alley.”

“Well who knows what’s on the agenda for next week!”

The blonde rolled her eyes once again, pulling her wife closer, feeling bold. “You know you can’t stay mad at me…or make me send back the rabbit.”

“Well of course not, the babies probably already love it.”

“Him. His name is Felix. Henry’s idea.”

“Oh lovely, you let them name him.”

“Hey, you weren’t so sure about Henry and now…”

“Henry was a baby! Not a rabbit!”

“Babies are a lot harder than bunnies,” Emma pointed out.

Regina rolled her eyes and walked over to the couch, slowly shaking the boys awake. Their eyes flickered open and they sleepily smiled at their mom.

“Mommy,” Roland mumbled.

“Come here baby,” she lifted him into her arms. Emma walked over to pick up Henry.

“Mommy, did you meet Felix,” Henry asked, sleepily.

“I saw him, he’s cute,” Regina told him.

 

The mothers took the boys upstairs and got them ready for bed, tucking them in, in their respective rooms. Once they were done, the couple met in the hallway.

 

“So…” Emma said, nervously. “Couch?”

Regina shook her head. “You made the kids happy, so I suppose I can’t be too mad.” The sheriff beamed. “Don’t get too excited, activities discussed earlier are now off the table. And next Sunday, we’re going to the museum, no complaints.”

 

Emma scoffed as her wife walked into their room. Someone was jealous on all the fun they had missed out on.


	11. Mother's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry is 7, Roland is 4. I got a prompt from a few asking for Henry doing something special for his moms on Mother’s Day. Threw Rolo in as well.

“Henny…” A little voice awoke the 7-year-old. “Henny, wakey!”

“What is it Rolo?”

“It’s Mommy’s day!”

 

That woke up Henry up and he sat up, smiling at Roland. The boys were in matching pajamas (it seemed that was all Regina ever bought them, insisting they looked adorable).  Roland’s proudly read “Thing 2”, while Henrys had “Thing 1”.

 

“We have to make them breakfast, but we have to be quiet, Mommy and Mama can’t be cranky today,” Henry said, as serious as a young boy of his age could be. Roland climbed off of his brother and the two tip toed out of the room and down the stairs. The sun was just coming up, so they didn’t bother putting on the lights. Henry drug out the two stools and grabbed the toast. His mothers had begun to allow him to use the toaster on his own, so he tore open a package of his mama’s favorite pop-tarts and slid them in. Once they were done, he put in toast for his mommy.

 

“I wanna help!” Roland insisted.

“Get the juice boxes,” Henry stage whispered.

 

The little boy raced to the fridge and pulled out two fruit punch ones. Meanwhile, Henry poured out bowls of cereal and Roland carefully brought over the milk, climbing up on his stool to pour it in. Banjo made his way into the kitchen and caught what they dropped, chomping merrily away on some Cheerios.

 

“Mommy likes fruit,” the 3-year-old reminded his brother. Their mom always insisted they have a piece of fruit with their breakfast, even when they were allowed to have pop tarts for breakfast (which wasn’t often). “And coffee.”  
  
“I can’t make coffee, but here…” Henry grabbed two apples and plunked them down on the tray. “Where are the presents?”

“Your room.”

 

Henry went upstairs and grabbed the cards they had made at school. Ashley had helped them hide everything when she babysat, along with the crafts they had made in their own classrooms. He brought them back to Roland and arranged them on the tray. Roland, in the meantime, had crept out the door and pulled flowers from his mommy’s garden. Henry wasn’t sure if Regina was going to be too happy about that, but his baby brother just looked so excited so he grabbed a glass, put in some water and dropped in the still dirt covered tulips.

 

The brothers each held onto an edge of the tray, it was quite heavy for them, but they managed, cereal dribbling onto the floor. Eventually, they pushed open the door and found Mama cuddled up against Mommy. They were wearing those fancy pajamas that they said only grownups wore. Mama had once made a comment that they only wore them for special occasions and then changed the subject. Henry was getting older; his curiosity was peaking more and more. They had already explained the facts of life, but he somehow found questions that shocked him. He was only 7 after all.

 

“Happy Mother’s Day!” The two shouted.

Emma’s eyes flickered open and she gave a lazy smile. “Guys? What’s all this?” She slowly sat up, which finished waking Regina up due to the lack of her personal furnace. The two reached for their robes, pulling them on quickly.

“Breakfast in bed!” Henry explained, smiling wide. They raced over, as best they could. Emma gently took the tray and examined it. Slightly burnt chocolate pop tarts and toast, bowls of overfilled cheerios, juice boxes and two full apples. Homemade cards were propped up on the tray as well, along with sloppily wrapped presents. It melted their hearts, their little boys had really gone all out. They saw the looks on their faces, clearly waiting for a reaction.

“Well this looks like the best breakfast I’ve ever seen,” Regina announced, pulling Henry up onto the bed beside her. Emma did the same with Roland, settling him on her lap.

“You thought of everything, didn’t you, cuties?”

“Mama’s favorite pop tarts,” Henry pointed out. “And fruit for Mommy.”

“This is a lot of food,” Emma pointed out, examining the extra soggy cereal. “You’ll help us eat it right?”

“Uh huh,” Roland agreed.

 

The two mothers ate their feast, commenting every so often how delicious it was and how they liked that the boys used the SpongeBob plates.

 

“I picked you flowers,” Roland announced, proudly.

Regina just then noticed the tulips, most likely torn from her carefully planted garden and she held back a wince. Not long ago, the kind of thing would’ve caused an aneurism, but she knew just how excited her son was. “You did such a good job, buddy. Next time though, ask Mommy for help, okay?” Roland just nodded happily and took a bite of Emma’s pop tart.

 

They didn’t eat it all, they were due for a big Mother’s Day brunch at Granny’s later but it was enough to satisfy the boys. Next came the presents. Henry’s cards had greatly improved over the years, his handwriting had become quite good. Inside each one he had drawn activities he did with the respective mother. In Emma’s, there was taking Banjo for walks and Regina’s, reading stories. Roland’s cards had clearly been orchestrated by his nursery school class, the teacher had written the “Happy Mother’s Day” and there were little scribbles. He pointed out who was supposed to be who in each. Then it was time for the presents, which Ashley had also assisted them in making and hiding in Henry’s room.

 

They were homemade picture frames. In Regina’s one of just the whole family because she had mentioned that while she had ones of Emma and plenty of the boys at the office, there was never any together. The picture had been taken when they officially adopted Roland not too long ago. They were all dressed up, but had goofy smiles on their face. Emma’s had a picture of just the boys and Regina, from the beach. Regina had been caught off guard while laughing at the children’s gleeful reactions to high tide. Under Regina’s it said “I Love Mommy” and under Emma’s, “I Love Mama”.

 

“Boys, these are the best presents I’ve ever gotten,” Regina told them, ignoring the tears in her eyes.

“Mommy sad?” Roland said, noticing the emotion in her voice. He reached over and placed his little palms on her cheeks.

“Oh Rolo, not sad, Mommy’s very happy.” She pressed a kiss to the middle of his forehead.

“Mama is too,” Emma added, allowing the two to swap boys. “You two clearly put a lot of thought into it.”

“Our little guys, we got so lucky in the baby boy department.”

 

The boys beamed at the praise.

 

“Now, why don’t you two go play for a bit? Mama and I will be through to help you get ready in a bit.”

 

They each received a kiss on the cheek from each son before they ran out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Emma gently put everything onto her nightstand and curled back up with her wife.

 

“How’d we raise such sweeties?” She asked.

“I don’t know,” Regina smiled. “How messy do you think the kitchen is?”

“Oh, it’s a disaster zone for sure.”

“Well, that can wait. In the meantime, I have a Mother’s Day present for you,” the mayor smirked, tugging on Emma’s robe tie.

“Oh, Madam Mayor,” Emma said in a mock southern accent, overdramatically fanning herself. “Whatever did I do to receive this attention?”

“You know, you’re the best mama in the world, your card says so.”

“In that case, we need to celebrate you being the best mommy.” Emma’s lips connected with her wife’s and she moved to remove Regina’s robe when the door opened again, Roland coming in. They quickly pulled apart, giving him a smile. “Yes, Rolo?”

“Can you play with us? Please?” He batted his puppy dog eyes.

 

The two mothers just shook their heads, laughing. Their presents to each other could wait. They had two little boys that beaconed for their attention.


	12. Henry Swan-Mills, MD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kamloth requested one with sick Regina and Henry playing nurse. I’ve made Henry 5 years old here.

“I’ll be back tonight,” Emma told her wife, though she did a double take. Regina had clearly been under the weather lately, though she was denying it. The final hint had been when she had told Henry that he could watch all three Toy Story movies in one afternoon. While Emma didn’t care much for screen time, Regina had read study after study on the subject. Henry sat on the floor, happily watching the beginning of the first while Regina was on the couch, a blanket covering her while she “reviewed paperwork”.

“Alright,” the raven-haired woman gave her a soft smile, wanting Emma to leave. She wasn’t one to be fussed over, she never had been. There was a staffing problem at the station and Emma had to go. She could look after Henry; the kid would be occupied with his movies until bedtime. His other mother had already fed him an early dinner so he’d be fine food wise. Then Regina could finally go to bed herself.

“I’ve left some soup out, ready to be eaten whenever,” the sheriff continued, eyeing her suspiciously.

“Emma, if you don’t go relieve Graham, he very well may leave first.”

“Not if he likes his job.”

“Everything’s fine. Squish and I have things covered, don’t we?” Henry looked up from his movie and smiled.

“Uh huh.”

“If you’re sure…” Emma kissed the top of her son’s head before kissing Regina’s cheek, doing her best not to wince at the warmth of it. She could very well ask her deputy to pull a double shift, but that would just add to Regina’s mood.

 

Finally, the blonde left and Regina let out a little sigh. She knew Emma just cared, but she didn’t want her to worry. Lately it seemed that Emma had been taking on Henry, since her job was a little more flexible. She could look after him too, no problem. She let out a little sneeze and looked for a tissue, quickly blowing her nose. Henry looked up, his mommy didn’t look too good.

 

“Are you okay, Mommy?”

“I’m fine sweetheart, you watch your movie. Mommy’s just going to rest her eyes for a few minutes.”

 

Henry wasn’t buying it, there were a small pile of tissues by her and she was cuddled up under the big quilt. Soon, he could tell that she was asleep. His moms never slept this early, they didn’t take naps. Grown-ups didn’t need naps, they said. His mommy had to be sick. That made him sad, normally when he was sick either she or Mama would take care of him. But Mama had to go to work and he knew that his mommy’s daddy was dead and she didn’t have a mommy, so figured it was up to him. While Regina napped, he grabbed his toy doctor kit and set everything out. Then he went into the kitchen and dragged the stool across the floor to grab the orange juice. He poured it out into one of the small cups he was allowed to use before going to the microwave. Emma had left a sticky note that said “30 seconds”, so he simply punched it in and waited for the buzzer to go off. His moms always waited to take things out so he left it alone and headed back into the living room, putting the cup on the coffee table.

 

When Regina woke up, she found Henry sitting beside her. She blinked a few times and looked at the clock. She had been out at least an hour.

 

“Oh, sorry about that Squish,” she said with a little yawn. “Guess Mommy needed more sleep than she thought.”

“You’re sick, Mommy,” he said, simply.

“No, I’m fine…”

“We’re not supposed to lie.”

 

The mayor let out a little groan. Her son was too smart for his own good sometimes.

 

“Well don’t you worry, I’m going to be just fine…”

“Open,” Henry instructed, pulling out his plastic thermometer. Regina stifled a smile, she supposed she could play along. She allowed him to put the toy into her mouth and put the fake blood pressure cup around her arm. It seemed to make him feel better to fuss over her. Next, he handed her the juice he had poured.

“Thank you, my sweet prince,” she told him, taking a sip. “But don’t you want to watch your movie?”

“You take care of me when I’m sick, but you don’t have a mommy or daddy to take care of you. So, I’ll do it.”

 

Regina felt her heart melt. Henry was at a curious age and had wondered why he had never met her parents as he had Emma’s. She had explained that her father was in Heaven and that her mom didn’t talk to her (they were still trying to find a child appropriate way to explain that Cora was not accepting of her daughter’s sexuality). Her sweet, sweet little boy. Before she could say anything, he hopped off the couch and left the room.

 

“Henry, where are you going?”

He returned a moment later, carefully holding a bowl with a spoon in it before placing it on the table. She realized it was lukewarm soup. She could’ve gotten up and heated it more, but seeing his little face and how proud he was, how determined he was to take care of her, she let it go. While she ate, he went upstairs and returned a moment later with his teddy bear and baby blanket, handing them to her.

 

“Chester and blankie can help you feel better,” he told her.

“Thank you, baby,” Regina said, pulling him up beside her. “You’re being a terrific doctor. But the best thing for Mommy right now is to relax. So, how about we watch another movie and snuggle?”

“Okay, but you can’t get up,” he told her, doing his best to sound serious.

“I won’t, I promise,” she held up her pinky and locked it with his smaller one, before turning on the movie. Henry curled up in her side and she wrapped the blanket tightly around them both. Banjo padded over and jumped up, resting his head on Regina’s lap. She scratched him behind the ears as she stroked Henry’s hair, watching the toys prepare for a yard sale.

 

Hours later, Emma walked through the door, hearing the theme music for Toy Story play through the house. She had managed to call someone else in to cover the rest of her shift, she had a feeling that Regina would need her. Those fears were blocked out once she entered the living room.

 

Regina and Henry were cuddled up on the couch with Banjo, all three of them asleep. Surrounding them was Henry’s play doctor kit, tissues and an empty bowl. She smiled and walked over, kissing Regina’s forehead. Her chocolate eyes fluttered open.

 

“You’re home,” she whispered.

“Yeah, I was worried about you. Clearly I had no reason to be,” Emma replied, softly.

“Henry insisted on taking care of me.” The mayor beamed proudly down at her sleeping child.

“He’ll make someone an excellent husband someday.”

“Nuh uh, he’s going to be ours forever and ever,” Regina cuddled the boy closer and Emma lightly laughed.

“You stay here with Doogie Howser, I’ll get you some medicine.”

“You’re going to have to do a lot to compete with him. He’s a pretty good doctor.”

“Always liked a challenge,” Emma teased with a wink.


	13. An Unexpected Christmas Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one doesn’t include their children, it takes place during Emma and Regina’s first Christmas together in this verse.

It had been two months since Emma’s team had taken on a case in a little town of Storybrooke, Maine. Two months since she had met the mayor said town, Regina Mills. The case itself had taken over a month to tackle and after, the agent had taken some leave to spend more time with the woman she had found herself falling for. But as the year was drawing to a close, she knew that she would have to be returning to her job …

 

Unless she just didn’t.

 

The FBI life had been exciting, more than she had ever imagined. Yes, it was often sad and made her even more aware of the creeps that there were in the world. But there was travel and she felt like she was really making a difference. She missed her parents, though she just visited them when she could. She never had a reason to really want to leave. Until she met that raven-haired beauty.

 

The sheriff of the station was retiring. He was looking for a replacement and his deputy, Graham, just wasn’t ready for that type of responsibility yet. Emma wanted it and had interviewed for it, without her girlfriend’s knowledge. She had a Christmas surprise in store.

 

“When are you going to tell her?” Mary Margaret asked. When Emma first arrived, she and the team had started staying at the little bed and breakfast over the diner. Once the mission was over, the nice school teacher whom the blonde had befriended offered to let her stay indefinitely with her husband. She said there was no sense in her spending the money. The couple was so nice, they refused her paying rent. Emma had never met someone so kind, but accepted the generosity. It meant she could spend more time with Regina.

“Christmas Day. I won’t be starting the job until after the New Year.”

Mary Margaret beamed. “It’s just so romantic. You’re moving here…for her.”

“I…I love her.”

 

Yes, Emma Swan was in love. She had never said those words about anyone before. She wasn’t a nun, she had dated. But never before had she truly been in love. Her brain hadn’t allowed her to. But now it was like her heart had beaten the other organ up with a bat and shouted “Shut up! Don’t screw this up!”

 

“When does she think you’re going back?” David asked.

“After the New Year. Little does she know I have a loft and everything planned out.”

“You know you could just keep staying with us.”

Emma gave them a kind smile. “I appreciate how great you two have been, but it’s time I got my own place.” She knew they were trying for a baby and they’d need that spare room for a nursery.

“At least promise you’ll spend Christmas Eve with us,” Mary Margaret pleaded.

“Of course! Regina’s coming too.”

 

Meanwhile, the mayor sat in her office, her mind not on the paperwork before her, but instead on the pretty blonde she had met. Emma Swan had been the person she had allowed herself to love after losing Daniel. There was just something about the spitfire of a FBI agent. She was a match for Regina, something she hadn’t expected. The past two months had been amazing. Dinners, dancing, Emma had even accompanied her to some of the stuffy government events she was forced to attend. She did it with no protest and managed to make Regina laugh the whole time.

 

And she was leaving. She had to return to D.C, she had a job. They had said they’d do the whole long distance thing, but she knew it wasn’t meant to be. They’d be broken up within months. And she’d go back to her life, filled only with paperwork, meetings and running a small town. As sad as it made her, she knew it was for the best. Regina had been raised here. Emma had grown up in Boston, a big town. She was meant for big things, she was born to be a free butterfly out in the world.

 

Her assistant’s voice came over the intercom. “Madam Mayor, your father is calling on line one.”

Regina wiped the few tears that had dared to stray from her eyes. “Thank you, Sidney.” She picked up her phone, doing her best to keep her voice clear. “Hi Daddy.”

“Regina.” His voice filled her ears like warm water.  “How are you, sweetheart?”

“Just fine, how are you feeling? How is your new nurse? Is she giving you your medications…”

“I’m doing just fine, Blue is handling me better than ever,” Henry replied, chuckling. His daughter always worried too much in his mind. Regina thought he didn’t worry enough. They were all each other had after her mother and he divorced when she was a teenager. Henry had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months prior. He wouldn’t live past the spring, they both knew this, not that they talked about it much. But he wasn’t about to spend his final months in the hospital or even in his daughter’s care, so Regina got him the best nurse to care from him at home. He had yet to get very ill, he could still get up and walk around, though it was best for him to get as much rest as possible. “You’re not working too hard, are you?”

“Someone has to run the town, Daddy,” she reminded him with a small smile.

“You should have fun, you’re still quite young. You’re still seeing that Emma, yes?”

“Yes.”

“And she’s coming over with you on Christmas?”

“Yes, she’s very excited to finally meet you.”

 

Regina was apprehensive to let the two meet. She knew their relationship was much like her father’s life expectancy, was short. But she had never been able to deny her father anything, she wasn’t going to start now. He loved seeing her happy and she would grant him that. She hadn’t shared that Emma was leaving soon or her fears about their relationship. With him, she could pretend.

 

“And I her. It is so good to see my little girl happy.”

“I am happy Daddy.” It took all she had not to break down in tears.

“Are you okay? Your voice sounds off”

“I’m fine, I just have a bit of a cold. In fact, I was just going to go send Sidney out for tea. Can I call you back later?”

“Of course, my sweet girl, I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

 

She hung up the phone and pressed the intercom again.

 

“Sidney?”

“Yes, Madam Mayor?”

“Hold my calls for the next 45 minutes. No exceptions.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

 

And with that, Regina Mills allowed herself to cry. About her father, about Emma, about anything else that she wanted. When she was done, she got up and went into her bathroom, cleaning up her face and fixing her makeup. By the time she emerged, it was as if it never happened. She was the mayor. A mayor of a small town no less, but she demanded respect and no one would give it if they knew she was breaking down mid-day. As far as anyone knew, Regina Mills did not cry.

* * *

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Emma asked Regina as they walked up Mary Margaret and David’s walkway on Christmas Eve. The two were attending their annual party, where a gag gift exchange always took place. Their respective gag gifts were in their hands.

“Yes, just glad I convinced everyone to have the Christmas gala early this year.”

“I know this isn’t really your scene…”

“But it’s yours and we only have so long together.”

 

The clipped voice her girlfriend had, added to Emma’s guilt. Regina had been acting off for weeks and she knew why. She was trying to make the impending separation easier. A part of her just wanted to tell her what was going on, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

 

Once inside, Mary Margaret handed them each a glass of spiked egg nog and lead them into the living room. A few people saw the mayor and tensed up a tad. She had worried it would be awkward for her to be there, so she did her best to blend in. Though the pantsuit among the silly holiday sweaters wasn’t helping much.

 

David could tell she was a bit out of her element and decided to help out. “Regina, you seem more like a wine girl, am I right?”

A little shocked to be called by her first name instead of Mayor Mills or Madam Mayor, she smiled. “Um, yes.”

“Red or white?”

“Red, please.”

Emma walked back over and handed her a plate. “Got all your favorites for you.”

“Thank you,” she responded, quietly.

 

The party was different than any one that Regina had ever been to. Even in college, she had been more of the drink with a few friends in a quiet bar type. Everyone here seemed so happy and loud. It was sort of hard not to join in on the fun. And the glasses of wine David kept pouring, made it a little easier. She was still trying to tame herself. She was the mayor after all. But she noticed the town’s favorite pediatrician, Victor Whale was there too, on his forth beer. No one seemed to mind, but then again, no one at the party had children.

 

Soon came the part of the gag gift exchange. Mary Margaret had everyone draw numbers and the game began, with Emma going first. She received a bag labeled “Reindeer Poop”, it was really chocolates. She laughed, holding them close. A few people went in turn, receiving things like funny sweaters and poop emoji pillows. Regina had the option of stealing from someone else or opening a new gift, she decided to take a chance and open one wrapped in Hanukah paper. The contents inside made everyone stop laughing, so all that could be heard was the sounds of the Henry Connick Jr. CD that Mary Margaret had put on.

 

A box of condoms.

 

All eyes were on Regina. Would the mayor flip out and demand they all be arrested on the spot? Would she flee the room? Burst into flames? Even Emma seemed a tad apprehensive. Regina stared at the box, then looked up at everyone around them. Soon, a laugh escaped her lips. A really loud, but genuine laugh. Soon, everyone was laughing with her. She picked up her wine, taking a sip.

 

“Well, I can easily say that someone else is welcome to take these. Not exactly something Emma and I can use.”

Emma turned bright red, slugging her shoulder. “Regina!”

“We’re all adults Miss Swan,” she reprimanded her. “No need to be a prude.”

 

That just got everyone laughing louder. When it was Whale’s turn, he stole them, causing his wife Ruby to roll her eyes.

 

“You ain’t that lucky,” she teased.

 

Regina then used it as an excuse to steal the candles Mary Margaret had unwrapped. The school teacher pouted, but unwrapped another gift. Emma put an arm around her girlfriend, kissing her cheek.

 

“Having fun?” She whispered into her ear.

“I am,” Regina muttered back. It had been the best Christmas Eve she had had in quite some time.

 

Emma was spending the night at Regina’s to make going to Henry’s the next morning a little easier. She didn’t join her girlfriend in bed though right away. Instead, she went into the bathroom, changing into something. It was a little corny, but she had seen it in the store and couldn’t resist.

 

“Emma, it is very late and I’m starting to get a wine hangover, can you just come out?” Regina called.

“One sec!”

 

Regina’s eye roll was much regretted when Emma emerged from the bathroom wearing a red teddy and Santa hat.

 

“I didn’t think you were that type,” Regina said with a smirk.

“I’ll be cheesy but only for you.” She strutted forward. “The real question is, Regina…” She straddled her, wiggling her eyebrows. “Have you been naughty or nice?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one sitting on your lap?”

“You’re ruining the moment.”

Regina laughed. “Alright then…Santa…I’ve been very, very nice.”

“Well, I have quite the present for you, Miss Mills. Only the best for such a hardworking mayor like yourself.” She kissed her neck and Regina let out a small moan.

“What if I said I was naughty?”

“I have ways of dealing with naughty girls too…”

* * *

The next morning, the two women opened up the stockings they had stuffed for one another. They had agreed not to do anything too big, just little presents they knew they’d enjoy. Under the tree were a few presents as well. For Emma, Regina had gotten her a new leather jacket, as her old one was getting worse for wear and a case of her favorite beer. For Regina, Emma had gotten her a brief case and a bottle of her favorite wine, apparently the two knew each other all too well.

 

“I have one last present,” Emma told her.

Regina’s eyebrows knitted in frustration. “But we agreed…”

“It’s not really something you can unwrap. Just wait here.” She got up and went out to her bug, ignoring the freezing cold air. She returned a minute later with a manila envelope, handing it over to Regina. The mayor opened it, pulling out her contract with the sheriff station. Regina’s eyes widened and she looked up at Emma.

“Is this…”

“I’m taking over for Sherriff Little.”

“But your job…”

“I resigned. I’m going to stay in Storybrooke.”

Tears clouded Regina’s eyes. “You’re staying in Storybrooke.”

Emma smiled. “I want to stay…and be with the woman I love.”

And with that, outside her parents and one very good friend, Emma Swan became the rare person to see Regina Mills cry. “I love you too.” She pulled her close, kissing her passionately. Emma smiled in the kiss, deepening it. The raven-haired woman pulled off after a minute. “But wait…is this really what you want?”

“I’ve never wanted anything more. I’m even going to lease the loft by the diner.”

“Have you signed a lease?”

“Not yet…”

“Well don’t…move in here.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“This house is so big…so lonely…maybe we could make it a home.”

The sheriff smiled. “I’d love that. Merry Christmas, Regina.”

“Merry Christmas.”

 

Hours later and the two were walking into Henry’s home. Miss Blue had the day off to spend with her family, which had worried Regina, but he seemed to be doing just fine.

 

“Daddy,” Regina said, ignoring the small smirk that went across Emma’s lips. She hadn’t taken her girlfriend to be the type to call her father “Daddy”.  “This is Emma. Emma, this is my father, Henry Mills.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Mills,” Emma said.

“Please, call me Henry. And it is so very nice to meet you,” Henry told her, beaming. “My Regina has spoken so much about you. I haven’t ever seen her so happy.”

Blush tinted Regina’s cheeks as Emma smiled. “Well, I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I have with your daughter.”

“She tells me you work for the FBI.”

“I did. But now, I will be the town’s sheriff.”

“So, you’re staying in Storybrooke! Excellent!” Henry clapped his hands together and then linked his arm with Emma. “Come, I want to hear all the details.”

 

Regina smiled as she watched her two favorite people walk off towards the kitchen. A very merry Christmas after all.


	14. Piece By Piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gotten quite a few requests to introduce Cora into this verse. Warning, I am not a fan of this character and that is going to show here. Also, I’m going to try to combine all the things that people wanted from this. One final warning, homophobia is a theme of this chapter. If that is a trigger, I would highly suggest skipping over it. This is going to be a hard one for me to write, but it’s an important one. Henry is 10 years old, Roland is 6.

Henry knew it was a big deal for his mothers to allow him to ride his bike to the park alone. Regina was as a helicopter parent if there ever was one. While Emma was a tad more relaxed, she was the sheriff, she saw bad things that happened to kids. But it was only a 5-minute bike ride and he’d be meeting up with other friends there. So, he was told go, bringing Emma’s cell phone with him in case an emergency happened and was told to be back by 4:30 sharp. He agreed to all of it and headed off, very excited.

 

As he turned around the corner, he saw a cat running out suddenly. He did his best to brake, but it was too late so he had swerve. Before he knew it, instead of turning, he was going down a rather large hill and into oncoming traffic. He threw himself off his bike, falling to the ground with a thud as he watched his bike continue down the hill. Cars moved to miss it, though it ended up being flattened by one. He figured it was better that than him.

 

“Are you okay?” He looked up to see a tall woman standing there. She was an older woman, her obviously dyed red hair pulled back in a bun. “Oh, look at your face.”

Henry was well padded, helmet and all. But he had scraped his cheek. He put his hand to it and saw the blood. He hated blood, but wanted to seem brave. “I think I’m okay.”

“Your cut should really be looked at. Where are your parents?”

“At home. I’m meeting friends at the park.”

“Well, why don’t you let me walk you home so they can look at it.”

 

The young boy hesitated. His mothers had stressed that he should never go off with someone he didn’t know, unless they were a police officer or someone of that type. But, they also said there were emergencies when one might not be around so to find an adult to talk to. There were no other adults and none of his friends would have their mothers with them at the park…

 

“Um, okay. They might not be happy.”

The woman gave him a patient smile. “Well, I’m sure your mother and father will just be happy that you made it home safely.”

 

Henry debated whether or not to say he had two moms. He wasn’t ashamed of it, but sometimes it was just easier to let people think he had one of each. So, he simply began leading the way back to the house.

 

“I am very sorry about your bicycle.”

“Me too. I liked it.”

“Maybe you’ll get a new one.”

“Maybe.” He was quiet for a moment. “My name is Henry, by the way.”

A weird look passed upon the woman’s face. “My ex-husband’s name was Henry.”

“Cool.”

“I’m Cora.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

She smiled. “Thank you, child.”

 

As they approached the house, Cora had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had been out of Storybrooke for quite some time and was only back to visit some friends. But she had remembered her daughter purchasing a house…from what she remembered it was a rather large white one. This resembled the pictures she had been shown. Her eyes fell upon the mailbox: Swan-Mills.

 

Cora glanced down at the child with her. Henry, he said his name was. Henry Swan-Mills. Henry Mills. It wasn’t so much a coincidence that he shared a name with her ex, of course he did. Her daughter had adored her father and she had heard of his untimely passing. She was about to just tell the boy to go inside, when the door opened. Out stepped Regina, closely followed by a blonde and another little boy with lots of brown curls and dimples.

 

“Henry!” Regina didn’t even see her mother standing there, just the cut on her son’s face. She rushed right over and took his face into her hands. “Oh, my baby, what happened?”

“My bike went out of control, I had to jump off it. It got smashed by a car, I’m sorry Mommy.”

“I don’t care about a stupid bike, I care about you, are you hurt anywhere else?” Henry shook his head. “Let’s go inside, we need to get that cleaned out.”

“I’m okay, Cora brought me home.”

Regina looked up and paused. There she stood, the woman she hadn’t seen in over 15 years. Her mother.

 

**Many Years Ago**

“So, this is the house,” Regina said, putting pictures down on the coffee shop table. Cora looked down and gave a half a smile. The raven-haired woman sighed. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What is it, Mother?”

“I saw pictures from the gala the other night, you brought a date.”

Regina sighed. She knew this was coming. While she had known she was bisexual since her teen years, Cora had never been made aware because she moved to New York around the same time. Henry had never cared, he just wanted his little girl to be happy. “Yes, Olivia.”

“Olivia,” Cora repeated the word as if her child had just announced she was dating Hitler.

“Mother, I know this will come as a bit of a shock…”

“You were dating that boy Daniel, no?”

The woman flinched. That was still a hard subject, even though he had been dead for a few years. “Yes, I was. He’s died fighting for our country, remember?”

“So, that just means you move onto women?”

“I’m bisexual,” Regina blurted out. Cora set her coffee cup down, staring at her daughter, her brown eyes piercing. “I have known since I was a teenager. Daddy and I decided it would be best not to tell you until I was dating someone seriously.”

“And that’s what you and this, Olivia are?”

“No. I doubt I’ll ever see her again.”

“You are the mayor, Regina.”

“I’m aware.”

“Is this how a mayor should be conducting herself?”

“You mean dating? The town doesn’t seem to mind…”

“Not what I mean.”

Regina let out a deep breath. Of course it wasn’t. “I understand this comes off as a bit of a shock, but it changes nothing.” She tried her best to smile. “I’m still the same Regina, I’m still your daughter.”

“And that’s something to be proud of?” Cora laughed, bitterly. “You’ve never been anything, Regina. All you’ve ever been is a disappointment. As a child, you never got anything right. You took your precious father’s side in the divorce…”

“You walked out on Daddy, I had friends here, what was I supposed to…” Regina attempted to defend herself, but her mother held up a hand.

“Do not interrupt. You go to a lackluster college, get a near useless degree and somehow manage to become mayor, though I doubt you’ll even make it past your first term.”

Tears burned Regina’s eyes. “Why do you do this? Why can’t you just let me be happy?”

“I want you happy, dear. But you’ll never be happy if you conduct yourself like this.” She saw the tears fall down her daughter’s face. “And now you’re crying. Weak.”

“I am not weak,” Regina thundered back, banging her fist on the table. Cora raised an eyebrow, her daughter had never spoken to her in such a way. “I have been through so much, more than you will ever know. Where were you when Daniel died? Or when I graduated from college? Or when I was sworn into office? Nothing I ever do is good enough, so maybe I should just give up.”

“Don’t be hasty, Regina. You’re making a scene.”

“I don’t care!” Regina looked her dead in the eye. “What is the problem with me being bisexual? Why do you care if I want to be with men and women?”

“It’s not natural,” Cora’s voice was even, her one tactic for manipulation.

“What’s not natural is your hair. If you can’t be happy for me, then maybe you should just stay out of my life.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“It is. You can go back to New York, I don’t care. As ar as I’m concerned, I never want to see you again.”

 

Regina rifled through her purse and grabbed her wallet, plucking a few bills down onto the table.

  
“Goodbye, Mother.” With that, she hoisted her bag back over her shoulder and stormed out, hot tears dripping down her face.

 

**In The Present**

Emma’s hand was now on Regina’s back. She knew who this was, she had seen pictures in her late father-in-law’s albums. The woman swiftly pulled away, rising to her feet.

 

“Emma, can you please take the boys inside?”

 

The blonde nodded and pasted a big smile on her face.

 

“Wow bud, I wonder if that’ll leave a scar? You’ll look like a rebel,” she told her oldest, putting an arm around him and lifting Roland into her arms, putting him on her hip. She gave Cora a nasty glare, she hated her, even though they had never met. How anyone could treat their child like that was beyond her. Without another word, she took the boys inside.

 

Cora and Regina stared at each other, neither being quite sure what to say. Finally, the older woman spoke up.

 

“You named him after your father,” she said.

“I did.” Regina’s voice was so icy, it’d probably freeze fire.

“And the other little one?”

“That’s hardly any of your business, now is it?”

Cora rolled her eyes. “Regina.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you went back to New York, I told you I didn’t want to see your face ever again.”

“Well dear, not everything is about you. I still have friends in this town. I come and visit them, staying out of your way the entire time. When I started helping the child, I had no clue who he belonged to.”

“I’m surprised you helped him at all.”

“Wouldn’t have, if I didn’t know.”  Cora was silent again for a moment. “The blonde, she’s your…”

“Wife.” Regina held up her left hand to reveal her engagement and wedding bands.

“I don’t recognize her.”

“She’s not from here. What do you care all of the sudden?”

“I just haven’t seen you in a while, I don’t know your life.”

“Are you going to try to be a grandmother now? Come around at birthdays and Christmas, give the kids hard candies, let them call you Nana?” Regina’s voice dripped with sarcasm, a level she never would’ve spoken to the woman as a child. But she wasn’t a child anymore. No, she was a grown woman who had been through hell. She owed this woman no respect, it wasn’t as if she had ever received an ounce of it.

“You made it quite clear you wanted me nowhere near your life long ago, Regina.”

“And who’s fault is that? According to you none of this is natural. I was always a screw up.”

“You could’ve been more, had more.”

“I am the mayor of this town, Mother. I have a fucking gorgeous wife and two adorable little boys that I love more than life itself,” Regina took a step closer, looking Cora dead in the eye. “Two little boys that I would never treat like disappointments.”

“They’re young, you say that now. There’s still time.”

“No. Because a real mother doesn’t use love as a weapon, a real mother’s love is unconditional. There is not a thing they could do or be that would make me stop loving them. You say I could’ve had more, I have everything plus more. And what do you have? Other than that stick up your ass.”

Cora raised an eyebrow. “You’ve gotten some nerve.”

“Had to. I was never good enough for you, I tried to be, but in order to do that, I’d have to change myself. I wouldn’t do that.” Regina drew a deep breath and ran her palms over her pants. “Thank you for helping Henry. You can now stay out of my life again for another 50 years.”

 

With that, she walked back inside and shut the door, locking the top and bottom. She leaned against it, shutting her eyes. She suddenly felt a pair of little arms go around her knees. Her chocolate orbs flickered open and she glanced down, seeing Roland standing there.

 

“Are you okay, Mommy?”

Regina smiled, partially. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Come here.” She lifted him into her arms and kissed his cheek. “Do you know how much I love you?”

“To the moon and back.”

“That’s right, don’t you ever forget that.” She nuzzled her face against his. “Where’s Mama and Henry?”

“In your bathroom. Mama told me to play down here so she could fix Henny up.”

“That’s probably a good idea. You go back to your toys, I’m going to go check on them.”

 

She lowered the little boy onto the floor and went upstairs to the master bath. Emma was just finishing up cleaning the cut.

 

“Does it really need a band aid?” Henry asked from his seat on the counter.

“Yes, we don’t want anything getting in it.” Emma caught the look on his face. “Just be glad it’s not stitches. And don’t worry, I have ones that aren’t Paw Patrol. Plus, not sure how Rolo would feel about sharing those.” She pressed a medium sized bandage over the cut on her son’s cheek.

Henry looked up and saw his mom. “Hi Mom. Where’d Cora go?”

“She left, Squish. You’ll never see her again.” Regina stepped closer and kissed his band aid cheek out of habit. “Does it hurt?”

“Kinda, Mama put some stuff on it and it stung a little.”

“That just means it’s working.” She stroked his hair and gave him a small smile.

“Did you know Cora?”

Regina looked over at Emma, who put her hands up as if to say she didn’t tell him anything. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because you looked at her funny.”

The mayor sighed. She couldn’t lie to him, she couldn’t be like her own mother. “Cora, is my mom.”

Henry smiled for a minute but then got confused. “Then why don’t I ever see her?”

“Well…” Regina tried to think of what to say. Even though he was 10, her son was still so young, so innocent. She didn’t want to take that away from him. At the same time, he was getting older. He already sort of knew part of this. “You know how some people aren’t okay with me and Mama being in love.”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, we don’t like being around those people and Cora falls under that category.”

“Oh.”

“It’s okay though,” Emma spoke up. “Because we have so many people that love us, we just need to block out the people who don’t wish us well.”

Henry was quiet for a minute and then threw his arms around Regina. She was caught off guard but hugged him back. “I’m sorry your mom’s mean.”

Regina partially smiled, kissing his head. “Thank you, baby. Just know I love you more than anything in the world and nothing could change that.” She held him in her arms for a few more minutes and then pulled away. “Now, you go relax. I know you say you’re fine, but you had quite a scare.”

 

The boy typically would’ve argued, but instead complied and went out of the room. Emma put a hand on her wife’s face.

 

“You really okay?”

Regina gave her a smile, a true genuine smile. “I’ve got you and the kids. I’m good.”

“She was wrong about you, you know that, right? She was always wrong.”

“I know.” She kissed her. “I really am okay. I just need a minute alone.”

Emma gave her a look. “I know you.”

“Then you know I don’t want you to see me how I’m about to get.”

“And you know me and I don’t care.”

 

Regina took a deep breath and sat down on the floor. Emma sat beside her, wrapping her arms around her, resting her chin atop her wife’s head. The mayor cried and the sheriff held her. When the tears had stopped, Emma wiped them with her thumb and kissed her lips, gently.

 

“You’ve got us, always,” she whispered.

“What would I do without you?”

“More like what would we do without you?”


	15. Not How The Story Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gotten a couple requests to have Emma get hurt, with one particular request to have one of the kids hurt as well. Setting this to when Henry was 3.

“Mama, I’m thirsty,” Henry said, his voice breaking the silence that had filled the kitchen while he quietly colored at the table. Emma looked up from the newspaper she was reading and a smile spread across her face.

“You know what, I am too. How about we go get some smoothies? We can bring one to Mommy at the office!”

Henry’s eyes lit up with excitement. Mommy had been so busy with work lately, he missed her a lot. “Okay!”

“Go get your shoes, I’ll be right there.” She watched him scamper off and sent a quick text to her wife, double checking that it would be okay to swing by, getting an okay. As far Henry knew, it’d be a surprise. But she knew Regina was busy and pop-ins were not always a luxury she could afford.

 

After getting the two ready to leave, she strapped him into his car seat, making sure the buckles were on nice and tight and gave him a kiss before getting up front and pulling out of the driveway.

 

“What kind of smoothie are you gonna get, Squish?”

“Hmm…mango!”

Emma laughed. The kid loved mangoes. “That sounds good. I think I’ll get strawberry kiwi.”

“Apple for Mommy.”

“How could I forget?” Regina sure did love her apples.

 

The light turned green, signaling she could go. Nearby, another traffic light had gone to red, but one driver decided to screw traffic laws and kept going. Colliding right in the driver side of Emma’s bug. Her whole world faded to black with the last thing she could hear being Henry’s screams.

 

Henry was scared. Some glass had flown from the other window and hit his face, but he didn’t care about that. His mama’s head was up against a big white poufy thing and she seemed to be sleeping.  His head hurt and there was blood. Tears fell down his face.

 

“Mama! Mama, wake up!”

 

But his mama stayed asleep. Moments later, the passenger side door was being thrown open and the seat was pushed forward. His uncle Graham’s head was poked through the back.

 

“Uncle Graham! Mama won’t wake up!”

“I know bud, don’t worry, we’re going to get your mama some help. You just need to come with me, okay?”

“I want Mama!” He wailed.

“You’ll be able to be with Mama soon.” The deputy reached into the back, undoing the buckles on the car seat. He gently removed the toddler, not wanting to make his head worse. He shielded his face, though, figuring the less he saw of Emma, the better. Leroy was in the process of questioning the other driver, who seemed to be getting away without a scratch. “Here, why don’t we go sit over here and wait for the doctors.”

“Why isn’t Mama waking up?”

“Mama’s fine, she just needs to sleep because she got hurt.” Graham, cuddled him close as he lowered himself onto the sidewalk. “Why don’t you tell me what you and Mama were going to do?”

“Get smoothies and bring them to Mommy.”

“Oh? What flavor were you going to get?”

“Mango for me, strawberry kiwi for Mama and apple for Mommy. ‘Cause she loves apples.”

“She does, doesn’t she? Say, what’s going on that Super Why show you like so much?”

Graham managed to keep him distracted until the ambulances showed up. The other driver had managed to move his car away so they could get to Emma’s side. In order to prevent the toddler from seeing his mother, the deputy carried him to one of them and allowed him to be checked over.

 

“These need stitches,” the paramedic said. “Does he have another parent?”

“Graham!” Regina raced towards them and then she spotted her son. “Oh my God, my baby!” She jumped into the back of the ambulance.

“Mommy! Mama’s not waking up!”

Regina’s eyes flew open wide and she turned to the deputy. He gently placed a hand on her arm. “Emma’s going to be fine.”

“We need to get your son to the hospital. He needs stitches,” the paramedic told her.

Regina stroked her son’s hair. “Alright, I’ll uh…I’ll ride with him. Graham, can you…”

“I’ll ride with Emma. Everything’s going to be fine.” He gave his nephew a quick hug. “You were so brave, bubba. I’m so proud of you.”

 

With that, he hopped off the back and ran over to the other ambulance, which Emma was being transported to. Regina poked her head around and winced at the sight. Her face was bruised and her eyes were just barley open. She was also grabbing onto her stomach. The mayor pursed her lips as the doors to the vehicle they were in shut. The ride to the hospital was short and the whole time, Regina tried to busy herself with worrying about Henry, but her mind kept going back to Emma. At least she was waking up, but for how long? Who had done this? She was going to kill them. These were the two most important people in her life! No one hurt them, no one! When she got her hand around their neck…

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a doctor talking and it was only then that she realized she was in the emergency room.

 

“We’re going to remove any glass and then put in some stitches,” the woman explained.

Regina frowned. “But he’s so little.”

“I’m sorry, but it needs to be done.”

“Mommy.” Henry clung to her side, clearly wanting to be picked back up.

The mayor’s heart was breaking. Her baby boy was so scared. “Shhh, my sweet prince, it’s going to be alright. You just squeeze Mommy’s hand as tight as you need to. You have to be my brave little one right now, can you do that for Mommy?” Henry sniffled and nodded. “That’s my boy.” His tiny hand entered hers and she kept her eyes on his, the entire time. He was soon crying again and screaming in pain. “Oh, my baby Squish.” Tears were threatening to spill down her face. “You’re doing so good, you’re almost done.”

 

It was over after what seemed like forever, but was really only minutes. Regina instantly sat down on the cot with him, pulling him onto her lap and cradling him close.

 

“Look at you, you did such a good job! What a brave boy, Mama is going to be so proud of you.”

“Where is Mama?” Henry sniffled.

Regina looked up at the doctor, expectantly, only to receive a shrug. The mayor’s eyes narrowed. “Well can you find out? Emma Swan.”

“We can only divulge information to family.”

“I’m her wife,” Regina barked. The doctor straightened up.

“I’ll go check for you.”

“Yes, you will.”

 

The doctor walked out and Henry snuggled more into his mom.

 

“Scary voice,” he whispered. He rarely heard his mommy use that voice and he didn’t really like it.

“Sorry Squish, sometimes Mommy has to use her scary voice to get people to do what she wants. I wouldn’t use it with my sweet prince, though. Here, I think I have something for you in my purse.”

 

Regina rifled through her bag and pulled out a lollipop. Emma was typically the one to have endless amounts of snacks in her purse, but the raven-haired woman also kept a few treats up her sleeve. She unwrapped the sucker and handed it over to her son. He gratefully put it in his mouth. The doctor returned, a small smile on her face.

 

“Your wife is upstairs in room 405. She fractured some of her ribs, but outside that is fine. If you’d like to go see her…”

“I would, thank you.” She stood up, putting Henry on her hip as she did.

“I’m sorry but your son can’t go, not right now. Only one person at a time. I’ve sent in a prescription for cream for Henry’s stitches and we’ll follow up on when you can bring to have them removed.”

 

The mayor sighed, kissing her son’s cheek. She’d have to call someone to take him, even though she didn’t want him out of her sight. As she headed back into the waiting room, she found Graham waiting.

 

“Graham, you waited.”

“I did, I just had to make sure Emma and Henry were okay.”

Regina smiled a little. “Thanks. I hate to ask, but could you possibly watch him? Emma’s upstairs and I don’t know how long she has to stay…”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll take him back to my place. Leroy grabbed his car seat from Emma’s bug. Maybe we’ll stop to get some smoothies, bud.”

“There we go.” Regina kissed her son’s head. “You be good for Uncle Graham. Mommy will come get you soon.”

“I wanna see Mama,” Henry whined.

“It’s just grownups for now, Squish. I promise you can see her soon.”

Henry sighed but nodded, kissing his mom’s cheek. “Love you Mommy.”

“I love you too baby.”

Graham took the toddler and gave Regina a reassuring smile. “The bug will be fine, by the way. It’s not totaled, by pure miracle.”

“That’s great. And the a-s-s-h-o-l-e that did this?”

“Arrested.”

“Not good enough, but it’ll do.”

 

Regina headed up in the elevator and paused in front of the room. She hated hospitals, she had spent a lot of time in them when her father got sick. He had died at home, but before then there were lots of tests, doctors being patronizing. She let out a long, deep breath. This was different. Emma Swan was not making her a widow. And if she attempted to, she’d drag her back from the deepest corner of hell, just to kill her herself.

 

Regina opened the door and found Emma laying in the bed, a few machines hooked up to her. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and pushed her golden curls out of her face. The beautiful green eyes, the one she fell in love with, flickered open. “Hey.”

Emma weakly smiled. “Hi. How’s Henry?”

“He’s fine, a few stitches, but outside that, nothing else. Graham took him home.”

“I am so sorry Regina…”

“It’s not your fault, it’s that idiot’s. Leroy arrested him.”

“Still, Henry’s hurt…”

“He’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

Emma waved her off. “I’ll be good. Just a few fractured ribs. They say I can go home tomorrow.”

“Good…good…” Tears gathered in Regina’s eyes.

“Hey, don’t cry. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good. Because if you leave me alone to raise a rambunctious toddler, I’d resurrect you, just to kill you.”

Emma laughed only to wince in pain. “Ooo…don’t make me laugh, please.”

“I won’t. You just get some rest.” Regina kissed her quickly and then settled into a chair next to her bed. “I’m not going anywhere either.”

 

The next morning, Emma was discharged from the hospital. She was given strict instructions to rest for 6 weeks, taking medicine and doing other things to help. They made their way back to the house, where Graham had brought Henry back to. Regina helped her wife out of the car, earning an eye roll.

 

“I can walk, Regina,” she muttered.

“I’m helping you, don’t be stubborn.”

 

Once they made it inside, Henry ran into the entry way, though he came to a halt when he saw his mama. Graham had warned him that she was very sore and needed to rest. Emma smiled at him.

 

“Hey baby, how are you feeling?”

“Okay.”

“I can’t exactly hug you right now, but…” She nodded to Regina who lifted him up and Emma kissed his cheek. “We’ll be able to cuddle before you know it.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, squish, I’m just fine.”

“Buddy, why don’t you go play with Graham for a little bit longer while I get Mama settled in bed?” Regina lowered her son back down and carefully lead Emma up the stairs, wincing at every time she groaned in pain. Soon, they made it to their room and she tucked the blonde into bed. “Alright, you get some rest.”

“Let the kid visit me later?”

“Of course. But in the meantime, I am your only nurse.”

Emma smirked. “How’s your bedside manner?”

“Depends how good the patient is.” Regina winked. “I’m going to go make you some hot chocolate. And before you ask, no I won’t forget the cinnamon.”

“You’re too good to me, baby.”

“All in the job.” Regina leaned down, kissing her. Emma deepened it for a few minutes before they finally pulled apart. The look in their eyes said it all…6 weeks without sex was going to suck.


	16. Two Princes and A Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gotten several requests to have Emma and Regina have a daughter. I will add while I have no problem doing this, I was thinking about doing it anyway, this is the last kid I’m adding to this family. As when I introduced Roland, any one shots previous to this that this character should’ve been in, just pretend they were on a play date or something. Henry is 10, Roland is 6.

Regina and Emma sat nervously in the office, clasping hands. After adopting Roland four years prior, they thought their family would feel complete. But there was something missing, something they couldn’t place a finger on. Emma was an only child, Regina had an older half-sister that she never spoke to, so it wasn’t like they grew up in very big families. Their boys had a very special bond, that was something they couldn’t deny. And it wasn’t that they had particularly wanted a daughter either, in the sense that that’s what was missing. They loved having their boys, being the only women in their lives (so far anyway).

 

Their sons had sort of fallen into their laps, they had been lucky in that way. Henry had been abandoned at the sheriff’s station, being just a few days old. Roland was the son of a late friend. This was the first time they were actively seeking out adopting. They had agreed since Regina couldn’t get pregnant, Emma wouldn’t either. She had never been the woman to think she needed to feel a baby grow in her stomach. Henry and Roland grew in her heart, this child would as well.

 

It had started off as just talk. They were older, at an age where most not want to start over. At the same time, they just couldn’t shake it. Neither believed in “signs”, but everything had seemed to point them in the path they had gone down. They passed the home study, interviews. Even the boys were on board with it. Henry had specifically requested another little brother, but Roland, who quite liked being the youngest boy, said he wanted a baby sister. Emma and Regina didn’t care either way. Boys were all they knew, but a little girl would be just great.

 

Then they got the call. There was a 2-week-old baby girl who’s adoption had fallen through. She was perfectly healthy, it just hadn’t worked out for whatever reason. The biological mother had stumbled across the mayor and sheriff’s profile, clearly impressed. To some birth mothers, it had been a turn off that they already had children, they wanted to find a couple who had yet to experience raising a child. But according to the agency, she said it was a plus, that her baby girl would have two older brothers. She didn’t want to meet Regina and Emma and the adoption would be closed (her choice, the wives hadn’t cared either way), she just trusted her little girl would be properly taken care of.

 

“Well, Ms. Mills, Ms. Swan,” the social worker said from behind his desk. “I just got the call. Your daughter is here, are you ready to meet her?”

Emma looked at Regina, smiling. Her wife smiled back, squeezing her hand. “Yeah, we are.”

“Alright.”

 

He hit a little intercom on his desk and instructed for the baby to be brought in. A moment later, a woman walked in, a tiny bundle of pink blankets in her arm. The couple stood up, Regina reaching out to hold the baby first. Once she was placed in her arms, she felt it. That same crack. It was a good one, her heart cracking open to be filled with even more love. It was the same feeling she had when Emma handed her Henry for the first time, the same one she felt when the social worker brought Roland to their door. Here she was this baby, this perfect, baby girl. Tears were already flowing out of her eyes and then she spotted the top of the baby’s head.

 

“Emma!” An actual squeal escaped the mayor’s lips. That caused Emma’s heart swelling joy to halt for a minute so she could actually laugh. What could get her wife, squealing? “She’s blonde!”

 

Emma looked and sure enough, the baby had very light, blonde hair, almost white. Henry’s hair had been light, but it was clear that his would eventually be brown, as it had turned out anyway. When they had met Roland as a baby, long before they were to adopt him, he had lots of hair, more than Henry. But it had been dark brown, like both his biological parents. It was clear that this baby’s hair would stay blonde. This got Emma crying. She didn’t need her children to look like her, that wasn’t important. But the thought of having a little girl with blonde hair…it just made her so happy.

 

“Can I…”

Regina was a bit hesitant to already let the baby go, but she wasn’t just hers. Emma was the baby’s mother, just as much as she was. She gently guided their daughter into the blonde’s arms. “Here, this is Mama.”

Emma felt another tear fall. She already loved her, she already knew that this was her little girl. The love for her was already growing in her heart. “Hey kid.”

“Do you have a name?” The social worker asked.

 

They hadn’t discussed it much. Before Regina could speak up, Emma did.

 

“Penelope.” She saw her wife’s shocked face. “I mean, I don’t know if that’s okay…”

“I love it,” Regina assured her. “Plus, I named Henry. It’s only fair.”

“Penelope Victoria,” Emma said, just as confident. Penelope Victoria Swan-Mills.”

“Perfect.” Regina wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling down at the baby.

 

After signing a few papers granting them temporary custody (they would officially be able to adopt her in 5 ½ months), they were free to go. They hadn’t had much time to prepare for the new addition, but they had managed to get a car seat. After strapping little Penelope in, they headed straight home. Mary Margaret had brought Neal over to play with the boys while they got things settled. Regina lifted the baby up into her arms once they had arrived and Emma opened the door. They headed into the living room where Neal and Henry were attempting to be patient as they taught Roland to play Clue.

 

“No, you have to guess who killed who with what,” Henry explained.

“But killing is wrong!” Roland protested.

“I know, that’s the game, we have to figure out who killed them so they can be arrested.”

“Mama will arrest them?”

“Sure, kid,” Neal replied.

 

Mary Margaret was laughing from her spot on the couch. She looked up and saw her friends, smiling. She gently tapped Henry and Roland on the shoulder, so they could look up too. Both boys scrambled to their feet and ran over.

 

“Is this our baby sister?” Roland asked.

“Yup,” Regina said. She knelt down in front of both boys, so they could get a better look at her. “This is Penelope.”

“She’s so tiny!”

“All babies are. Penny, these are your big brothers, Henry and Roland.”

“Can I hold her, Mom?” Henry asked.

“Yeah, just sit down over here.”

 

Henry sat down in the armchair and let his mom show him how to hold the baby. He smiled down at her, she really was super adorable.

 

“She’s got blonde hair,” he pointed out.

Emma smiled. “She’ll stick out around you and your brother.”

“I wanna hold her,” Roland said, scrambling to sit beside his big brother.

Emma gently touched his shoulder. “You can Rolo, but only when Mama or Mommy give her to you. Henry’s a little bigger, you’re still pretty small too, so we just want to make sure neither of you get hurt.” She moved Penelope into his arms and adjusted his little hands. “There we go, we have to support her head, because it’s delicate.” Unknown to them, Mary Margaret was taking pictures of the scene.

At that point, Penelope decided to latch her tiny hand onto Roland’s finger. It temporarily shocked him, but he didn’t move the arm that had been placed around her torso. “She’s like a koala.”

Henry laughed. “She is, all clingy.”

 

Regina and Emma smiled proudly at their kids. They weren’t really worried about Henry and the new baby, they had already been through the whole sibling jealousy thing with him. They had talked to Roland about how he was still their baby and they loved him all the same and how cool being a big brother would be. Still, they were nervous that he would want nothing to do with her.

 

“You’re good with her Rolo,” Emma praised.

“I’m going to be a good big brother, just like Henry!”

 

Henry grinned widely as he wrapped an arm around his little brother, while Emma and Regina started crying again. Banjo, the family dog, made his way over, jumping on the ottoman to place his head on Henry’s lap. Mary Margaret simply held up her camera.

 

“Beautiful family.”

 

_Click._

Now, that little hole in their hearts, that space that had been missing, was full. They had 3 beautiful babies, how could they ask for more?


	17. Funny Coincidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oncer4life11 requested a one shot of Penelope asking Emma why they look alike, even though she’s adopted. Little one is 5 years old, Roland is 11 and Henry is 15.

Emma was constantly amazed how many of her and Regina’s attributes had passed down to their children. All of them could be stubborn (a trait they got from both mothers), Henry had Emma’s charm and Roland found he was very take charge, much like Regina (though Emma could take credit there). Penelope was a daredevil like Emma, with Regina’s love for apples. The kids were adopted, yet these were things genetics didn’t need to pass down. They had simply emulated their mothers. But there was one funny thing that didn’t come from genetics nor being raised by the two women.

 

Penelope had a little resemblance to Emma. It was made clear when she was a tiny baby with her light wisps of blonde hair. Though her eyes were a shining blue while the sheriff’s more favored emerald, the hair seemed to stand out the most. Especially as she grew older and it proved to be just as curly. Regina and Emma had never met the little girl’s birth parents unlike their sons’ and even with Emma’s old FBI connections, she couldn’t get any information on them. So, they could only guess that she inherited it from one of them or one of their family members. While the couple never got questions in their small town of Storybrooke (where everyone knew everyone), if they ventured out, they often were asked if their children were adopted or test tube babies. Regina would promptly answer it wasn’t any of their business. But if Emma and Penelope were ever alone, no one questioned her parentage.

 

The little girl was getting older and a tad more perceptive to certain things. She knew she was adopted, like her brothers she had heard her story. How her biological parents couldn’t care for her, so they gave her to people who could. She never considered her moms anything less than just that. But, something had peeked her interest.

 

Regina was sitting on her daughter’s bed, trying to comb out the knots. Her lion’s mane seemed to be so out of control with the summer heat. “Sit still.”

“But Mommy, it hurts,” Penelope whined.

The mayor sighed. She hadn’t missed these days, they had gone through this with Roland and his curls. “I used the spray, sweetheart.”

“Still really hurts!”

“Here, let Mama give it a shot,” Emma spoke up from the doorway. Regina happily passed the brush and moved aside on the small bed to make room for her wife. The blonde seemed to have the magic touch. Penelope still whined some, but all in and all, there were fewer complaints. “There we go, all done.”

“Mama saves the day, yet again,” Regina grumpily replied.

“Don’t take it personally baby.” Her wife reached over to run a hand through her fine, straight raven hair. “You’re just not to used to what we are.”

“Mommy, you’re good at picking clothes,” Penelope added.

Regina smiled, kissing her daughter’s cheek. “Well thank you, angel.”

“Mama?”

“Yes?”

“If I’m adopted, why do I look like you?”

 

Emma sat in stunned silence for a moment. She had been asked a bunch of questions over her years as a mother and none seemed to have stumped her quite like this.

 

“Well…I don’t know,” Emma admitted. “Lots of people have blonde hair.”

“Yeah but yours gets tangly like mine,” Penelope pointed out. She crawled onto her mother’s lap and gave one of the curls a tug. “See? Henry and Roland don’t look like you two.”

“Well, that’s because none of us share the same DNA. It’s just a coincidence that we look alike.”

“What’s that?”

 

Emma shot her wife a pleading look. She didn’t even know how to begin explaining the word. Regina smiled, placing a hand on the small of her daughter’s back.

 

“It means that it’s something random. But really, I think it was just fate.”

“Fate?”

“Yeah, it means that you were meant to be our little girl. You see, when I was younger, I used to have a dream that I had a little girl with curly blonde hair.”

Penelope’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Really.” Regina smiled. “So, you having the same kind of hair as Mama is just a funny little bit of fate. It makes you special. But even if you didn’t look like her, and even though you don’t look like me, we would still love you all the same. You know how that is, right?”

“Uh huh.” Penelope put a hand on her stomach. “I didn’t grow in your tummy, I grew in your heart.” She moved her hand to her mother’s chest and Regina grinned wider.

“That’s right, you clever girl. Now go on, have one of your brothers help you with your shoes.”

“Okay!” The little girl hopped off the bed and raced for the door. “Rolo! Mommy says you  _have_  to help me with my shoes!”

 

Emma laughed as she scampered away, putting an arm around Regina’s shoulders.

 

“Did you really have that dream?”

Regina nodded, softly smiling as she remembered it. “When I met you, I thought it was meant to be. Then we adopted the boys and I wasn’t disappointed, not by a long shot. I love them same as I do our princess. But now, truly, all my dreams have come true.”

Emma placed a hand on her face, gently kissing her. “She’s you too, you know.”

“Oh please, she’s a little firecracker.”

“She is so bossy. Where do you think she gets it from?”

Regina’s eyes narrowed. “Are you calling me bossy, Swan?”

“It’s a lovely trait. It got you to where you are…got you, me.” Emma smirked.

The mayor pulled her wife closer, kissing her for a moment.  “We should probably go down there before they all kill each other.”

“Yeah, it is a little too quiet.”

 

The couple headed downstairs to find Penelope throwing shoes at Roland, who in return was pelting her soft foam targets from a NERF gun. Henry was sitting nearby, his headphones in while he read a book. Yup, they were their mothers’ children alright.


	18. Through A Mother's Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve gotten quite a few requests to have Emma’s parents visit since I’ve shown both of Regina’s. Setting this shortly after Penelope was brought into the family, so she’s a newborn, Roland is 6 and Henry is 10. This is probably clear by now but in this verse, Mary Margaret and David are not Emma’s parents. (I’m not anti-Charming Family, I actually love them, it’s just how things worked out. I wanted a younger Neal.) This is an AU/Modern verse so there’s no magic and fairytales aren’t real, I just picked the names Odette and Derek because I associate them with Swan (Swan Princess was my favorite movie when I was little).

Regina had to bite her lip to prevent her from laughing as she rocked Penelope. Emma was freaking out, actually cleaning the house. Emma Swan didn’t clean. Well, she wasn’t a slob and picked up after herself and the kids, but she had convinced Regina to hire a cleaning person to come twice a month to do any heavy cleaning required. The mayor hadn’t protested, they were both busy women and would rather spend their free time with each other and their kids than with a mop. But, it was the week in between the housekeeper coming and they were due for some houseguests. Not just any houseguests, Emma’s parents.

 

They weren’t critical people or overbearing but Emma still freaked out every time they came to visit. She was their only daughter and worried about her. First, she had left home at 18 to attend college and straight out of there, joined the FBI. They always hoped she’d head back to Boston and settle down there, even though she told them she had no intentions of settling down. She wasn’t going to get married or have children. Then she met Regina, moved to Storybrooke and put roots down there. Derek and Odette were a little disappointed that they were still separated, so they managed visits as often as they could. Emma wanted to prove to them that she had made the right choice, even though it wasn’t necessary.

 

“Emma, you know your parents love you,” Regina said.

“They do, but they also had different dreams for me. I was supposed to go into the family business, probably marry one of my dad’s colleagues…”

“Your parents support you being a lesbian.”

“His colleagues have daughters. Anyway, I just want them to see that I’m fine.”

“Of course you’re fine, you’re married to me.”

Emma shot her a glare. “Why are you just sitting there while I bust my butt?”

“Because someone has to take care of the baby.”

The sheriff rolled her eyes. “Plausible excuse.”

“You get like this every time they visit. When we go to Boston, you’re not this stressed.”

“Because that’s their house.”

 

Suddenly, Henry and Roland came running in, their hands and face covered in mud. Regina thought her wife was about to explode. My, oh my, were they switching places today.

 

“Boys, why don’t you go wash up,” the mayor said, quickly. “Nona and Papa will be here in a few.”

“Okay. Why does Mama have that look on her face?” Henry asked.

“Your mother is having a nervous breakdown. She’ll be fine, just do as I said.”

 

The boys somehow found that hilarious and sped back out of the room. Emma sent her wife another glare from over the mop.

 

“You can’t hurt me if I’m holding the baby,” Regina pointed out. She smiled as her wife groaned, leaning against the counter and crossed over to her. “Your parents love you, okay? They’re not Cora.”

“But they worry.”

“All parents worry. In 20 years, we’ll still be worrying about our kids.”

“I thought you said they’re not allowed to move out. They have to stay our babies forever.”

Regina laughed. “Well, they do. But we’ll still worry as they live in the basement.” That got half a smile. “Well that’s partially my favorite smile. Where’s the rest?”

“Give me a reason to.” With that, her raven-haired beauty planted a big kiss to her lips, which indeed helped Emma find the rest of that smile. “Always does the trick.”

“Just take some deep breaths.”

“Can’t we open the wine now?”

“Your mother will want some when she arrives.” Regina paused, thinking fondly for a moment. “I wonder what kind of grandparent my dad would’ve been.”

“The best. He would’ve been here every day. We would have to get him to move in.”

“He loved you.”

“Not as much as he loved you,” Emma pointed out. Henry Sr. had adored his daughter up until his last breath.

“Maybe not, but he told me several times not to screw it up and make sure we were incredibly happy. Which we are.”

“We are.” Another kiss.

 

The doorbell rang and before either woman could make their way to the door, it was swung open by their sons followed by screams of “Nona! Papa!”  Regina stroked her wife’s cheek.

 

“Relax.”

Emma let out a deep breath. “Relaxed.” She put an arm around her wife and headed into the entry way where Henry and Roland were attacking their grandparents with hugs. “Kids, be careful. You don’t want to break your grandparents.”

“We’re all good sweetheart,” Odette said as Roland finally released her from the hug. She walked over and cupped her daughter’s cheeks, kissing her forehead. “You always look so skinny. Don’t you eat?”

Emma blushed. “I eat plenty.”

“It’s like having a third son,” Regina teased. Odette turned to her daughter-in-law, kissing her cheek.

“Hello Regina.” Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of Penelope. “And this must be Penelope.”

“Yes, would you like to hold her?”

“But of course! My first granddaughter.” She gently took the baby into her arms while her husband settled their bags onto the ground. He crossed over to his daughter, kissing the top of her head.

“You both look pretty good for a couple dealing with two rambunctious boys and a newborn,” he stated with a smile.

“We’ve learned how to survive on very little sleep,” Emma said. “Perks of being a former FBI agent.”

“Let me see my new favorite little girl,” Derek replied with a wink, taking the baby from his wife. “Well, if she isn’t just a little princess.”

“Perfect completion to our family,” Regina said.

“Well, let’s not just stand here by the door!” Odette said. “We brought presents for everyone, including Little Miss Penelope. Henry, do you still play baseball?”

 

While Henry explained that he had moved onto a robotics club at his school and lead her into the living room, Roland tugged on his grandfather’s leg, to brag about what a good brother he was and how much he helped out with his new baby sister. Derek listened intently as he pulled out the presents with one arm, somehow still managing to hold the baby in the other. Emma leaned into Regina. Maybe this visit wasn’t going to be as bad after all.

 

Later that night, Regina took over entertaining Emma’s parents while the sheriff was trying to settle down Roland and Penelope. The grandparents had done what grandparents do best and filled the boys with sugar. While Henry fell asleep, the 6-year-old was having none of it and of course, the baby wouldn’t settle down either. Emma finally figured out that Roland just wanted to cuddle, after all he hadn’t had his mama to himself all day. So, Emma adjust Penelope in one arm and pulled Roland onto her lap, wrapping an arm around him with the other. She had Roland hold a book up on his lap, The Velveteen Rabbit while she read the words. It did the trick and soon both children were asleep.

 

“You’re very good with them,” a soft voice said from the doorway. Emma looked up to find her mother standing there.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Emma whispered back.

Odette made her way further into the nursery and looked around. It was one fit for a princess, upon Regina’s demands. Emma got to decorate the boys’ rooms until they were old enough to do it themselves, so she took over with Penelope. “Very pink. I couldn’t even get you to wear lavender when you were a little girl.”

Emma softly giggled. “It was Regina’s doing. She apparently had this very nursery in mind for years, when she envisioned having a daughter.”

“You were a feisty one. The day the social worker dropped you off at the house, you colored on the walls.”

The blonde couldn’t remember that, it had been just shy of her 2nd birthday. But, she had been told the story a million times. “Surprised you didn’t just send me back.”

Odette looked caught off guard. “Why would we have done that? You were our little girl, our Emma.”

“I know I wasn’t the daughter you expected. You and Dad tried forever to have a kid, a little girl especially. Then you get one and she’s a pretty major tom boy, refused to do ballet or anything, armament that you would never be grandparents.”

The older woman walked over, sitting on the ottoman. “All we ever wanted, was for you to be happy. Were you what we expected? No, you were more.” Odette smiled, leaning over, to stroke her daughter’s cheek. “I loved having my feisty little girl. You kept me on my toes, life was never dull with you in it. And when you joined the FBI then moved here to be sheriff, your father and I were never disappointed. Worried, but that’s what parents do. When these little lovebugs and Henry go off into the world, you’ll have the same anxiety. But you’ll always be proud. Look at the life you’ve built for yourself. I could not be prouder of my daughter.”

Emma gave a watery smile as the tears came to her eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime, sweetie.”

“For the record, I only know how to be a good wife and mother from watching you.”

It was Odette’s turn to have tears come to her eyes. “Well, would you like some help?”

“Uh, actually pretty sure I’m stuck like this, at least until Penelope wakes up for a feeding.”

“Well, in that case…” Odette grabbed a quilt from the other rocking chair and draped it over her daughter and grandson, making sure that it wouldn’t suffocate the baby. “Rest easy, sweetheart.”

“I will. Night Mom, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning.” Odette kissed the top of her head before walking out.

 

Emma looked down at the two children cuddled up with her and let out a content sigh. She really was happy, nothing could change that.


	19. Ice Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a request from Kamloth to have Penelope join a hockey league (an all boy’s one) and then I got a very descriptive (and beautiful) prompt from dance_of_pale about the family vacationing at a lake house during the winter. So, combining the two because I think they fit perfectly. Henry is 18, Roland is 14 and Penelope is 8. (Okay, wow. How did our little squish get so damn old? I need to write another when he’s little soon!) Btw, I’m half Italian and I basically turned Odette into my aunt here. If you’re Italian (or any culture where food is a big deal), you have at least one relative like this. Also, I just want to thank you guys for all the support you give this little series. It makes my day so much brighter! I love the SwanQueen fandom to bits

The feel of the ice beneath the blade, the smell of the cool winter’s air. It brought her back to her childhood. Her father had brought her out onto the lake after strapping on her very first pair of skates. They held hands and slowly, but surely, she was off on her own.

 

_“You’re doing it, baby, you’re doing it!”_

A big smile on her face, her blonde curls bouncing beneath her winter’s cap. She had never felt more graceful. Her father always said she had been, she was a swan after all.

 

She did a twirl, landing just as she had since she learned to do one. She was getting up there in years, but it was a hard habit to break.

 

It was late December and the Swan-Mills family had joined Emma’s parents on their home on the lake. Growing up, Emma would go at least twice a year with her family, if not more. It was only a 2-hour drive from their apartment in Boston. Summers, she’d swim, winters, she ice skated. After marrying Regina, her parents still extended the invitation to all of them. They couldn’t except every time, the women being the sheriff and mayor, respectively, of their little town. But it was the holidays and they had managed a small getaway. It was important to them. Henry would be going off to college soon. Their little squish, all grown up and ready to take on the big bad world. Roland was 14 and opportunities to spend with him were fewer and fewer as well. He was so busy with soccer, friends and even his first little girlfriend. That was something for the mothers to get used to…their boys being independent, not needing them as much.

 

Luckily, they weren’t near empty nesters. They still had their little girl. At all of 8 years old, her mothers still hung the moon. She missed spending time with her big brothers too. Luckily, the house didn’t get wi-fi or very good cell reception, so the boys were forced to interact with family and they were actually enjoying it.

 

“Mama!” Henry came out of the house, his siblings following behind, they were all bundled up for winter. Emma stopped with her twirls and smiled at them. The boys had on matching jackets and thermal jeans, skates slung over their shoulders. She noticed Henry had two pairs, the smaller ones with little pink sparkles on them, clearly meant for Penelope. The little girl in question was trailing behind, she found it hard to walk in her boots. “Nona sent us outside, she said we were getting in the way of dinner.”

Emma laughed. Her mother was a true Italian. She loved to cook for everyone, but Heaven help anyone who tried to assist her in the kitchen. That was her domain and hers alone. You want a snack? That’s fine, but you better eat it elsewhere. “Sounds like her.”

“Can we join you?” Roland asked.

“Of course.” The boys had learned previous winters and were almost as good as their mother. “Lace up, Henry help your sister. You wanna learn to skate, Ladybug?”

Penelope nodded, excitedly. “Yeah, Mama.” She had always wanted to learn, but Regina the forever helicopter parent had held her off. Emma finally put her foot down and said that winter had to be the one, Henry and Roland had both learned around age 6.

 

Speak of the devil, Regina made her way out onto the back porch, staring out at the beauty. The snow had fallen on the ground, but had cleared from the sky. She was all bundled up, a nice hot cup of hot chocolate that her mother-in-law had insisted on making for her. In her mind, Regina and Emma were far too skinny. It seemed to be her mission to make them 300 pounds a-piece. A 20-year mission that had yet to work.

 

She watched apprehensively as Henry gently guided his little sister on the lake. Their first winter there had been shortly after they were married, a time before children. Regina had flipped out, worrying the ice would crack and her beloved new wife would drown. But Derek had assured her it was perfectly safe, he would never let his daughter skate unless he knew it was thoroughly thawed over. It was sort of amazing to watch her move. Like a ballerina, just on ice. Emma had offered to teach Regina, but the mayor was having none of that. No, she was perfectly fine watching from the porch with her cup of hot cocoa.

 

Emma took Penelope’s mitten clad hand and carefully showed her how to move. The little girl nearly fell a few times, but Emma always caught her. Meanwhile, Henry and Roland freely guided around, goofing off a bit. As her wife made another loop around the ice, making sure their baby girl wouldn’t fall, Regina saw a look in her daughter’s eyes, one she had seen many a time over the years. Usually it was when she wanted the last cookie or to pick the show that they watched. Being the youngest of three, especially with brothers who were very active and to the little girl, inspiring, she constantly wanted to be on the same level. Sometimes, she forgot that she really was only 8.

 

“I wanna do it on my own,” Penelope told her mama.

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Well, honey, maybe when we go out tomorrow…”

“No, now. I can do it.”

The blonde recognized the determination in her daughter’s voice. She had it back when she learned how to ride a bike. While Henry and Roland had both insisted their mothers hold onto the back for a while, she was ready to go straight off. She got her stubbornness from both Emma and Regina, despite not sharing their DNA, they knew this. “Alright Ladybug. But I’m going to be right here.”

 

Penelope nodded and Emma gently let go of her hand. The little girl made it two feet before falling down. Regina tightened her grip on her mug, trying to remind herself that her daughter was bundled up so tightly, it would take a harder fall than that to hurt her.

 

“Ooo, I give that a 2!” Henry called from his side of the ice.

“Are you okay?” Roland asked, concerned. He was so protective of his baby sister. Henry could be too, but he knew that she was alright. In his opinion, everyone babied the girl too much, despite her being such a free spirit.

“I’m okay,” Penelope replied. Emma helped her back up. “I wanna try again.”

“Alright, you can.” Emma let go of her hand once more and watched her. She made it the same amount of steps before falling again. This time when the sheriff helped her daughter up, she noticed a more determined look in her eyes. She wasn’t going to give up, despite the heart attack she was imposing on Regina and Roland.

 

At that moment, Odette made her way onto the porch, smiling at her daughter and grandchildren. It was so sweet to have the whole family together.

 

“Dinner’s ready!” She called out. “Hope you skated yourself into a large appetite, I made chicken parmesan!”

 

Henry and Roland whooped and made made their way off this ice. Emma went to help her daughter, but Penelope stood firm.

 

“I wanna try again.”

“We have to go eat baby, plus it’ll be dark soon. We can try again tomorrow, okay?”

 

Penelope let out a long dramatic sigh, but agreed. She allowed her mama to help her off the ice and change back into her boots. Once they got up the porch, Regina wrapped an arm around her little girl.

 

“You did a good job, angel,” she praised her.

“No, I didn’t. I fell down a lot,” Penelope replied with a pout.

 

Regina and Emma shared a look, sighing. As much of a free spirit and how competitive she could get, Penelope was her own worst critic. If she couldn’t master something right away, she beat herself up about it. It was nothing her mothers had done, they praised her for every little milestone. At the same time, Regina was also the same with herself. No one else could criticize the mayor better than the person in the mirror. As much as she tried to shield that from her wife and kids, some of it had seeped through. When a bill she vetoed got passed anyway or when she screwed up in a meeting, she’d constantly think and rethink ways she could’ve done differently. Regina hated to think she had somehow passed all of that down onto her daughter. She also knew that she hated talking about it and if anyone tried to tell her otherwise in the moment, she shut them out. Her daughter was the same way, the talk could wait.

 

Dinner was a loud, lively affair. Odette hadn’t just made a simple chicken parmesan, she had also made massive amounts of noodles, vegetables and garlic bread. Oh, the garlic bread, covered in gooey cheese. The kids got soda (curtsey of Derek, who felt it was his job to spoil the kids), while the adults enjoyed their wine. The only quiet person through the whole thing was of course, Penelope. They all got massive helpings, as no one was allowed to say no when Odette would ask “Oh, you need some more, don’t you?”. Then there was dessert, cheesecake. To everyone’s surprise, Penelope didn’t even finish hers.

 

“Don’t you like it?” Odette asked.

“It’s good Nona. I’m just tired,” her granddaughter replied, quietly.

Regina exchanged another look with her wife. “You know what, I think she needs an early bedtime. I’ll handle it.”

 

Odette went to speak when her daughter gave her a look letting her know she needed to let it drop, that she’d explain it later.

 

“Well, sweet dreams Penny,” Odette said instead, lovingly.

 

Everyone else wished her sweet dreams and Regina lead her upstairs. She gave her daughter some privacy to change into her pajamas before going inside. The house was huge with 4 bedrooms. Roland and Henry shared one and Penelope got her own, the same one that had once belonged to Emma when she was a little girl. It made the little girl feel special to sleep where her mama once had.

 

Penelope was under the covers in her huge bed, looking quite small in it. In her arms, she was clutching her ladybug lovey, otherwise known as a blanket with a ladybug head. Emma had bought it for her when she was a baby and while most children outgrew them before kindergarten, it was the child’s comfort item. Regina and Emma would never dare to take it away from her, she could sleep with it until she left for college for all they cared. The boys had their own comfort items that they hid, not that they’d ever admit it.

 

Regina made her way over to the bed and tucked her in nice and tight before laying down beside her. “So, I still think you did very well today.”

“I stank.”

“Not true. It was your first time.”

“Roland didn’t fall that many times his first time.”

“Sweetheart, you were 2. Do you really remember?” Her silence meant no. “I know it’s hard, but sometimes it just takes practice. No one is perfect, not everything comes naturally to everyone.” Penelope shrugged. “You don’t have to be so hard on yourself. You are an incredibly talented girl, you can do so many things.”

“I’m never going to learn.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “What is your name?”  Penelope gave her a weird look. “I asked you a question.”

“Penelope?”

“Penelope, what?”

“Penelope Victoria Swan-Mills.”

“Exactly. You are a Swan-Mills. Do you know what that means?” The little girl shook her head. “We don’t give up. Ever. We are stubborn to a fault. It’s why your mother and I drive each other crazy so often.” That got a giggle out of the little girl.

“You love Mama.”

“I do. And I love you. I also know you. And from the minute you were born, you have never given up.  You never let your size or anything stop you from doing what you want to do. You learned how to ride a bike, a horse, you’ve done ballet and you can beat Roland in arm wrestling.” She left out the part that the older brother always let his little sister when. One day, she’d be able to beat him on her own accord. “So, you didn’t master ice skating in one afternoon, that doesn’t matter. Because as you just told me, you are Penelope Victoria  _Swan-Mills_.”

Penelope smiled. “I am.”

“Now look, you don’t have to try again if you don’t want to. You can drink hot chocolate with me tomorrow or we could ask Grandpa if he can drag out the sleds.”

Her daughter was silent for a minute. “I think I’ll try skating again.”

Regina smiled. “That’s fine, more cocoa for me.” She kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, my little princess.”

“Night Mommy, I love you too.”

“I love you more.”

 

She got up and switched on the nightlight before turning off the overhead light, heading out of the room, shutting the door.

 

“Great speech, coach.”

Regina nearly jumped out of her skin and spun around, seeing her wife standing there. “Damn it Swan! Between you and the kids, I’m going into an early grave.”

“You ain’t leaving me alone to raise these monsters.” Emma smiled, pulling her closer. “And to think, you used to be scared that you wouldn’t know how to comfort her.”

“She’s my daughter, I will never let her give up on herself.”

“Just know I’m never giving up on you either.”

Regina smiled, resting her forehead against hers. “How does that song go? Tell the grave digger he better dig two?”

“Oh yeah.” Emma kissed her. “Now, if you’re interested…you can be my coach. I think I need to be reminded of my spot on the team.”

“Yes, as I recall I wanted to give you some private practices…”

“Oh my God, you two are so disgusting,” Henry said as he passed them. “Get a room.”

“Your mother and I are in love,” Regina shouted after him. “Be grateful.”

“I envy children of divorce,” the overdramatic teen muttered, walking into his room.

Emma laughed. “He loves us.”

“Totally. Now…. I was serious about the private practice…”

“Lead the way.”

 

The next day, Emma asked her father to take the boys with him to the store so she could be on the ice alone with Penelope. Regina assumed her spot on the porch, her hands wrapped around a mug filled with cocoa. The 8-year-old had that determination back in her eyes and she was ready to get out there. To start off with, Emma did lead her around the lake a few times and then let her go. Penelope fell, but got right back up, even refusing her mother’s hand. She tried again, nearly fell over but caught herself and kept right on doing it. Regina smiled from behind her mug as she took a sip. Emma was beaming proudly, watching in amazement.

 

“You’re doing it, baby! You’re doing it!”

 

It didn’t matter that the mothers were immensely proud. What did, was that Penelope was proud of herself.

 

**A Few Months Later**

“I still can’t believe you convinced me this was a good idea,” Regina said, freezing her butt off as she sat next to Emma on a bench in Storybrooke’s indoor ice rink. Roland and Henry were nearby, the older boy holding his camera. He had offered to record the moment, so his mothers could actually experience it in real time.

“She’s an excellent skater,” Emma assured her, linking arms. She could see Penelope getting ready, that same determination in her eyes.

 

The rest of their vacation, Penelope practiced skating every day. She even got into competitions with her brothers. When they returned to Storybrooke, Emma continued to teach her at the local rink. One day while leaving, Penelope saw some boys coming in with sticks and jerseys. She learned what hockey was and started watching it on T.V. It wasn’t long before she was begging for lessons. She was still in the beginners but was the only girl in her class. Every month they had a competition, splitting the class into two sides. This would be Penelope’s first one and she was super excited.

 

The game soon began and everyone was out on the ice. Regina cuddled closer into Emma as they watched their baby girl go. She really was good. She had set her mind to it and accomplished it. The boys had never even bothered to give her grief. They had older siblings, who knew Roland and Henry. It didn’t hurt that the first few lessons, Roland was the one who brought her, glaring menacingly at the little boys, almost daring them to make fun of his baby sister. Henry would do the same, though he knew Penelope could take care of herself.

 

The game went on and Penelope’s “team” didn’t win. The family was a little nervous as they headed down to where the families were to collect their kids. Of course they were so proud of her, she had done a great job, especially for such a short time with lessons. However, they knew Penelope and suspected that wouldn’t be enough. But, to their surprise, they were greeted by a very happy little girl.

 

“Did you guys see me? I shot the puck in the goal three times!” She said, excitedly.

Emma smiled. “We sure did, baby girl. You did a great job.”

“I think this calls for hot chocolate,” Henry announced, picking up his baby sister.

 

Well, who could argue with that?


	20. Defending Mom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KatDee requested a one shot where a 9-year-old Penelope overhears her mothers talking about Cora coming for a visit and all the nasty things she ever said to Regina. Penelope finds Cora and tells her that her mommy is the best, Regina and Emma arrive in time to overhear the conversation.

Penelope wasn’t a baby, so she didn’t get why sometimes her family treated her like one. She could tell something was wrong with her mom. She had come home that night from work, looking very upset. But when the 9-year-old pressed her about it, Regina had plastered a fake smile on her face and said nothing. Now that Penelope thought of it, her mom got a little upset around the same time, three times a year. The first two, she knew the reason why, it was the anniversary of her father and first love’s death. She explained how important Henry Sr. and Daniel had been to her. Emma of course understood the first and didn’t mind the second, she knew Regina loved her. She even got a little sad that day. He had only been 18, no one should die at 18. You haven’t even lived your life that young. It had been really hard the past few years since Henry was around that age, the thought of their son dying that young was just too much bear. He knew this and allowed his mothers to go more protective mama bear than usual.

 

But, she never explained why she would get upset the third time, always around April. At least not to Penelope. Roland, Henry and Emma seemed to know. Penelope hated to be left in the dark. She was old enough to handle it.

 

So, that night after she was meant to be in bed, she carefully tiptoed to the master bedroom and listened through the crack in the door.

 

“I don’t know why I get so upset, she comes through every year,” Regina said.

“She’s a terrible person and she triggers horrible memories. It’s to be expected,” Emma assured her, gently. “Where’s she staying?”

“Granny’s. I asked Ruby and she says she’s not staying very long, just a few days. I try to avoid her best I can, but it’s not that easy.”

“She hasn’t said anything this time, has she?”

“No. She knows better than to approach me.”

“Good. I still want to kill her.”

“Just let it go. I should, too.”

“She’s your mother and she said that you were failure, that you’d never amount to anything. And then last time, she had the nerve to say you were probably a bad mother. No one puts my wife down.”

 

Penelope quickly snuck back to her room, in shock. She had never met her mom’s mother. She knew that her Grandpa Henry was in Heaven because he had been sick. But no one ever talked about Cora. Even Henry and Roland, who knew the full truth since Emma and Regina felt they were old enough to know, never brought her up. Anytime Penelope tried to ask, it was just said that they didn’t talk. Some mothers and daughters just didn’t. She had accepted it at the time, but this was shocking to her. Her mom was the best mommy in the world! How could Cora think otherwise?

 

Henry and Roland had thought the same thing when they learned all the awful things that had been said about their mother. But as older teenagers, they were able to understand that confrontation probably wasn’t the best route. People like Cora weren’t going to change, no matter how many times they were yelled at. Penelope was still a child though, still a little girl even if she didn’t want to admit it. She was going to confront Cora, one way or another. Just like Roland had stood up for her when Bobby Miller told her that she was stupid. When she was sure everyone was asleep, she snuck downstairs and saw Facebook up on Emma’s computer. Her mom had once explained it was a website old friends used to keep in touch. She typed in Cora Mills into the search engine and saw what she looked like before returning the screen to normal, now she knew who to look for.

 

The next morning, Penelope wrote out a quick note to her moms so they wouldn’t worry and left before they woke up for the day. She would have to ride her bike to Granny’s, Henry was off at college and Roland couldn’t drive yet so she couldn’t ask them for a ride. It took her about 15 minutes to get there, which was enough time for Emma and Regina to wake up, realize she was gone and go out to get her. The note had been pretty vague, just that she was going to the diner. They figured she was using her pocket money to buy an ice cream sundae for breakfast. It sounded like something she would do.

 

Penelope walked into the diner and looked around. The entrance to the upstairs B&B opened and an older woman came walking down. The little girl instantly recognized her as Cora. She walked up to her.

 

“Hey.”

Cora looked down at the little one, confused. “Hello. Where’s your mommy or daddy?”

“I have two mommies.”

“Well…how unfortunate for you.”

“You were mean to my mommy! You said she was a bad mommy, but she’s not, she’s the best mommy in the world!”

That’s when it dawned on Cora. She had heard that her daughter had adopted another child, a girl. This little spitfire had to be her. The woman had no clue how to respond, people were beginning to stare. But of course, no one jumped into say anything. Mostly everyone knew what the mayor’s mother was like and the fact that she was being put in her place by a 9-year-old, while a little cringe-worthy, was perfect.

 

“You should say you’re sorry,” Penelope continued, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “She’s a great mommy, she takes care of us and plays with us.”

 

Little did the child know, Emma and Regina had walked in right at the beginning of her rant and had heard the entire thing. While this was super inappropriate, they couldn’t help but feel proud. Their daughter must have overheard their conversation and wanted to defend her mother. The child had pretty much no filter and her mouth could get her in trouble a lot. Right now, it was paying off.

 

Cora looked up and saw Regina standing there. She could feel everyone around her staring and had enough. She wasn’t about to listen to this child. “Seems like you’ve raised your daughter with no respect.”

“How I’ve raised my daughter, is none of your business,” Regina snapped back. Penelope gulped, she hadn’t been expecting her moms to show up. She wasn’t supposed to leave the house without one of them or her brothers.

“Not to mention she hasn’t said anything untrue,” Emma added. “Penelope, come here sweetie.” The little blonde carefully walked over to her mom, who lifted her up into her arms.

Cora looked between the couple in front of her and then down at their daughter. She wrinkled her nose. “This town is going to hell.” And with that, she was gone.

Regina began inspecting her daughter. “Are you alright? Have you been hurt?”

“I’m fine, Mommy,” Penelope replied, laying her head on Emma’s shoulder. The sheriff stroked her daughter’s hair.

“Alright, I think we’ve provided the patrons of the diner with enough show for one day. Let’s head home. Roland will be up soon and wondering where we all are.”

 

They drove back to the house (putting her bike in the trunk), mostly in silence. Penelope was actually starting to think she got away with what she had done. They got back before Roland had awoken (it was a Saturday, no reason to be up before noon in his mind) and Penelope headed to the living room to play.

 

“Not so fast,” Emma said. “Come on Ladybug, we need to have a little chat.”

 

So close, she thought. The young girl followed her mothers into the kitchen and they sat at the table.

 

“Alright, how did you overhear our conversation last night?” Regina asked. Her daughter feigned an innocent look on her face. “Penelope Victoria, we do not lie in this house.”

Penelope sighed. “I was listening outside your door.”

“And what have we told you about eavesdropping on adult conversations?”

“Not to do it,” the child mumbled.

“Exactly. Now, I understand what you heard upset you, but that’s why we didn’t tell you. We told your brothers, but only because they’re older and we knew they could handle hearing it.”

“But I could.”

Regina sighed, rubbing her temples. “Honey, I appreciate you standing up for me, I do. And it’s good to stick up for the people we love. But, we have to be careful about what we say and when to certain people. Cora isn’t just a stubborn person, she’s a bad person. She could’ve hurt you.”

“Your mother and I need to know that you’re always safe,” Emma continued. “You didn’t include what you left to do this morning. Which is a whole other thing, you know better than to leave the house alone. And riding it all the way to Granny’s is dangerous, there’s a ton of traffic. What if you had gotten hurt?”

Penelope pouted. “But I didn’t know I was doing something bad.”

“Penelope. Did you really think that Mommy and I would be okay with you doing this?”

The little girl was quiet for a minute before mumbling, “No.”

“So, you knew it was wrong and did it anyway?”

“I don’t like people saying bad things about mommy. Plus, Cora’s the one that lied. She said Mommy is a bad mommy and she’s not.”

Regina reached over, taking her daughter’s hand and squeezing it. “I appreciate that baby, I do. And we all know that she’s wrong. But as you get older, you learn there’s a time and place to stand up for something. If Cora had approached us and started saying mean things, then maybe would’ve been appropriate time to say something. Running away to confront her at Granny’s wasn’t the way to handle it.”

“Do you understand what we’re trying to tell you?” Emma asked. Penelope nodded.

“I still think she was wrong.”

“Well, she is. But, because you broke the rules, you are grounded for 3 days.” Realistically, she knew it should be more, but given the circumstances (and the fact that her speech had been the sweetest thing ever), she could go light.

“Never again, okay Princess?” Regina asked.

“Yes, Mommy.”

The mayor kissed her daughter’s head. “Good girl. Now go up to your room. We’ll get you for breakfast.”

“Okay.” Penelope slowly walked out of the room, clearly not happy with the result of it all.

“By far the hardest punishment we’ve had to dole out. And that’s not including the time we had to ground Henry for punching out that kid that called you the “d” word.”

Emma slightly smiled at the memory. “You know, I used to worry we were too protective of them. I think they’re just as protective of us.”

“Of course we are.” They were startled by Roland’s voice.

“Up before noon, kid? That’s a record.”

The teenager rolled his eyes. “We may not always behave the best, but we love you both. We’re the only ones allowed to complain about you.”

Regina smiled. “Aw, look who’s all sweet.”

“I can be. What’s for breakfast?”

“French toast, your sister’s favorite.”

“She broke the rules and you’re rewarding her?”

“She defended me, she gets her favorite meals for a week.”

 

Roland rolled his eyes, but he didn’t have much else to say. He had woken up to a video that a friend of his recorded of the little speech. His baby sister had basically said what was on his and Henry’s mind for years. He had forwarded the video to his older brother, who was also immensely proud. They were allowed to think their mothers sucked, but at the end of the day, no one was allowed to say they weren’t good ones. They all knew just how lucky they were to be a part of the Swan-Mills family, even if they didn’t always show it.

### Notes:


	21. Ohana Means Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silver Water 7 asked for a one shot with Banjo and Penelope and Kamloth wanted them getting another pet. Penelope is 5, Roland is 11 and Henry is 15.
> 
> **I made up Roland's middle name as it was never disclosed on the show**

Banjo was a great dog, the best the Swan-Mills family could ask for. But he was getting up there in years, he was 11 to be exact. No longer that small little pup that let the boys chase him around and get into mischief with. He was still of good health, but he wasn’t up for much playing as of late. Regina, who had been against adopting him to begin with, found herself curled up with him at night. The dog had come into their family at just the right time. He got along great with their bunny, Felix (who Regina would never come around too, Emma was never going to live down buying him). As the boys got older, they still walked the dog but as he was less interested in playing, they were all go, go, go.

 

Penelope never had Banjo when he was active. By the time she could properly enjoy him, he was starting to decrease wanting to play fetch and all. That didn’t stop the dog from falling around. He would sit and allow her to do whatever he wanted. That included wearing whatever dress up clothes she could fit on him, having tea parties, the best friend a dog could have. He loved that little girl and she loved him right back.

 

One afternoon, Emma came home and found Penelope curled up into Banjo’s side, fast asleep. The blonde smiled, they were very attached to one another. But that smile slowly faded. She had done research shortly after they adopted Banjo, labs had a life expectancy of 10-12 years. Sure, he could surpass it, but soon, their family could be empty. Obviously, no dog could ever replace Banjo and they didn’t want to be planning the funeral before his heart stop beating, but she wanted to make the transition as easy as possible.

 

She knew Regina may not be overly thrilled by this, so she had to plan it carefully. Emma sent Henry and Roland to the movies while Penelope was having a sleepover at a friend’s house. She ordered the mayor’s favorite dinner (lasagna) and poured out her favorite wine.

 

Regina didn’t buy it as a romantic gesture. They had been married 18 years. Something was up. “What do you want?”

“Is that any way to greet your wife?” Emma asked, seductively, handing over her glass.

“Swan, I have known you a hell of a long time. Let’s not play games.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “You would ruin a church picnic in the rain. I wanted to talk about adding a new member to the family.”

“You want another kid? I thought we were done after Penelope.”

“No, not a kid. Just…a pet.”

“Okay, so basically you do want another baby. You know how much work Banjo and Felix are.”

“They’re getting up there in years,” Emma pointed out. “Easier to take care of.  When they die, I know the kids are going to be sad regardless, Henry and Penelope especially. Henry’s the one who found him, technically, and he’s Penelope built in playmate. He even helped Roland transition into our family. But, maybe it’d be easier if we already had another dog.”

Regina frowned. “No one could replace Banjo.”

“Of course not. He was our first dog, just like no one will ever replace Felix…”

“When he kicks the bucket, we are not buying another one, just to be clear.”

Emma laughed. “I know.”

Regina thought about it for a moment while she sipped her wine. “I suppose looking at a few pet adoption websites wouldn’t hurt.”

The sheriff beamed. “You’re the best.”

“But it has to be a dog that’s good with others. We’re not giving up on Banjo just yet.”

“No, we’re not. And of course, I think it may even be good for him, have a little brother or sister.” Emma wrapped an arm around her wife’s waist, kissing her cheek.

“Is that lasagna?” Regina asked.

“Yes.”

“It’s not going to be as good as mine.”

“Of course not, but you’ll eat it anyway.” The sheriff smacked her wife’s butt and walked over to cut them each some.

The mayor smiled, shaking her head. “And they say romance dies after a while.”

 

After dinner, the two changed into sweats, jumped into bed…and looked at pet adoption websites. They found a woman who fostered dogs until they could find homes. She had taken in a pregnant Pitbull that had been discovered on the side of the road, sweet as can be. The dog had a litter of 5 puppies that were available for adoption. Since she fostered lots of dogs (including a lab), they knew any of the pups would be good with Banjo.

 

That next Saturday, they went to the woman’s house with Banjo in tow. Instantly, the dog was greeted by the other lab living there and they hung out together (the lab was being adopted or they would’ve taken him instead) while the kids and their mothers were lead over to the new puppies. Penelope was in Heaven, wanting to bring all of them home and played with each and every single one. Henry was dragged more to the only female pup, who happened to be the runt of the litter. She was mostly black except for a patch by her nose, a star shape on her fur and the tip of her paws were white. Emma smiled, ruffling his hair.

 

“What do you think, kid? You’re the one that helped us find Banjo.”

“She’s really cute. Plus, we’ve never had a female pet,” he pointed out as he got his face licked. “And she’s friendly.”

“Mama, we’d have another girl in the house!” Penelope piped up.

That got the sheriff grinning wider. “The boys would be outnumbered.

“Oh joy,” Henry replied, sarcastically, though he was smiling too. Roland walked over, scratching the dog behind her ears. The puppy took to him as well, licking his shoe. She proved to like Penelope, jumping onto her lap.

“I think we found a winner,” Regina announced, smiling. She happened to find the little animal adorable.

“She just needs to pass one more test,” Henry said.

 

He gently took the puppy from his sister and carried her across the room to Banjo, setting her on the floor in front of him. The pit batted at his paw with hers, wanting to play. Banjo simply licked her head and in return, the other dog curled up into his side. The family all grinned at one another and Emma went to go flag down the foster lady. After an intense game of rock-paper-scissors, Penelope was the one that got to hold her on the ride home. Banjo sat by her feet, sniffing out his new sister.

 

“She’ll need a name,” Regina told the kids from the driver’s seat.

“How’d you guys name Banjo?” Roland asked.

“We found him in a box in front of a music store,” Henry explained. “There was a sign advertising banjos. Mama thought it was fate.” Emma laughed at the memory. Regina had wanted to name the dog a human name, like Jacob. She was outnumbered by Henry who found the name “Banjo” hilarious.

“We could name her Drums,” the younger teenage boy joked.

“No, that’s a silly name,” Penelope replied.

“And Banjo’s a real chart topper.”

“What about Ohana?” His baby sister replied, obviously not picking up on his sarcasm. “’Cause she’s adopted and we found her, like in the movie. Lilo said it means family and no one gets left behind or forgotten.”

“I actually like that,” Henry said. Roland nodded in agreement and looked up front as his mothers.

“Moms?”

“It’s unique, like she is with her little white patches,” Emma said. “I think it’s perfect.”

Regina was silent for a moment. She had been thinking once again of a human name, like Sophie or Jade. She also thought that Ohana was even weirder than Banjo, considering it was basically the same thing as naming a dog “Family”. But she saw how happy her kids and wife looked, maybe it was the perfect name after all. “So, we’ve got Henry Daniel, Roland John, Penelope Victoria, Banjo,  _Felix_ ,” she shuddered at that damn rabbit’s name. “And Ohana. Sounds like one crazy, but cool family.”

 

They took the dogs to the dog park. Ohana was obviously a good fit, as adventurous as all the kids. Even Banjo ran around a bit, clearly in love with his new sister. Clearly this new dog was going to be the best thing for everyone.


	22. How I Met Your Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was sent in by elsaisabadass with a flashback to how Regina and Emma met, as they tell their kids. Penelope is 6, Roland is 12 and Henry is 16.

It was another lazy Saturday at the Swan-Mills household. The boys had gone to the roller rink to meet up with their friends, but neither mother had to work so they were watching reruns of one of their favorite T.V shows while their daughter played with her dolls on the floor. The smallest doll had two mommies, a common theme when she played. It just made Emma smile, she was so proud to have two mothers. Suddenly, they heard the front door open and slam shut.

 

“Tell me someone got it on video!” Roland said.

“I said shut up!” Henry shouted.

Penelope looked up at her mothers. “Henry said a bad word.”

“I heard, Ladybug,” Emma told her, not sounding at all bothered.

“You should put him in timeout.”

“Henry’s a big boy, he doesn’t get timeouts. He can however get his mouth washed out with soap,” Regina called out, loud enough for the boys to hear.

 

Henry and Roland came into the living room. The younger one was grinning like the Cheshire cat as he plopped down next to Emma, stealing some of her popcorn. Henry threw himself into the recliner, folding his arms and pouting.

 

“What’s wrong, baby?” Regina asked, a little worried.

“He’s overreacting,” Roland piped up. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“You’re lucky I didn’t make you walk home,” Henry grumbled.

“Alright, no arguing. Just tell us.” The moody teen didn’t respond, so his brother told the story for him.

“He has a crush on Grace and he tried to ask her out. She was caught off guard that she tripped over her skates and fell. Henry tried to catch her, but she ended up bringing him down with her. And then she made it perfectly clear that she was not interested in him.”

 

Regina got up, walking over to the chair, sitting on one side. Emma handed Roland the bowl and moved to the other. It was a tight squeeze, but they made it work.

 

“I’m fine,” Henry said, rolling his eyes, noticing Regina’s not so subtle inspection. “I didn’t get hurt.”

“Grace is an idiot, Squish,” she told him. “You’re an amazing, handsome, smart young man and any girl would be lucky to have you.”

Henry grabbed a pillow, cuddling it closer. “I’ll make sure to tell them my mommy said so.”

“Hey, your mom’s right. You’re a great kid,” Emma piped up, stroking his hair. “Grace is one girl out of a zillion out there.”

“There aren’t a zillion people on this planet.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Okay smarty pants. You know what I mean.”

“There’s not going to be another Grace.”

“No, not unless you meet another girl named Grace. But you will find your princess one day…or your prince….”

“I’m not gay!”

“Relax, I know. I’m just making it clear to all of you that we would not care less about your sexuality.”

“I thought that was pretty obvious considering your lesbians,” Roland called from his spot.

Regina giggled, looking over at Emma. “You know, I never thought I’d fall in love again, after I lost Daniel.”

“Yeah and I only ever had one serious girlfriend before Mom. I didn’t think serious relationships were for me.”

“Do either of you have a point?”

“Yes kid, I have a point.” She poked her son in the cheek. “Rolo, Penny, get over here, sit on the ottoman.”

 

The younger kids did as instructed. Ironically, the show they had on fit the moment perfectly.

 

“This kids,” Emma said in her best Ted Mosby voice. “Is the story of how I met your mother. You know, we didn’t have a fairytale beginning and your mom rejected me.”

“Hey now, that’s not exactly fair,” Regina argued.

“Hush, hush honey, it’s story time. Now, as you all know, I used to be in the FBI…”

 

**Years Ago**

Emma sat at the desk that the kind members of the Storybrooke sheriff’s station had offered her. It was another mission, another town. She hadn’t slept in her own apartment in nearly 3 months. First, they had been in Denver then Seattle, now a small town in Maine after a series of murders had occurred. She didn’t feel anywhere close to tracking the guy. The rest of her team was out doing research and collecting evidence. That’s when her very timid partner, Aurora walked in. She was new to the force and was mostly their tech person, but she had tried to help and do some investigating. She looked a little upset.

 

“You okay, Aurora?” Emma asked.

“I’m fine. It’s just…” She sighed. “I think I may have made some issues with the mayor. I’m sorry! I…I’ll send her a fruit basket or write a letter of apology…”

“Aurora, sweetie, calm down. What happened?”

“Brooke left me in charge of the van. I’m not very good at driving it, it’s just so big. I was trying to back up when I accidentally went too far and ran over the rose bushes. Apparently, they were just planted. The mayor came outside screaming at me, threatening to write me up.”

 

Emma raised an eyebrow. She had become quite protective of Aurora. She was not cut out from the FBI but that wasn’t her fault. Who was this loudmouth mayor? Couldn’t she see it was just an accident? As far as Emma was concerned, they were helping this dude out. They were trying to stop the murderer before anyone else was next. If it weren’t for them, this guy could be next. Emma was going to let her know under no certain terms did anyone yell at her team. She wasn’t the head of her department, but that didn’t matter. They were like a family. She hopped up and stormed out of the office, ignoring Aurora’s pleas to just leave it alone. She knew what her partner was going to do.

 

The mayor’s office wasn’t too far from the station, just a quick walk. Emma stormed right in and up to an African American gentleman manning the reception desk. She read the name on his little nameplate. Sidney Glass.

 

“Mr. Glass, I need to talk to the mayor. Now.”

“Mayor Mills is currently in a meeting. She’s almost done, so if you can take a seat…”

“No, I want to talk to Mr. Mills, now.”

“It’s  _Miss_  Mills.” A sharp voice cut over. Emma looked up to see a woman around her age standing there. She had short raven hair and was wearing what looked to be a designer suit. Emma had to admit that this woman was very attractive, but that was beside the point! She had yelled at Aurora. “How can I help you?”

“Where do you get off screaming at random strangers?!?”

“You mean like you’re doing now?” Regina asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Don’t deflect! Aurora is completely innocent. Your rose bushes can be replanted, you should be so lucky that we are here helping you!”

“I can tell you Miss…”

“Swan. Emma Swan.”

“Very well, Miss Swan, if you don’t calm down, I’ll have no choice but to have you arrested for harassment.”

“I’m in the FBI. I could very well lock  _you_  up.” Well, she couldn’t. But that was neither here nor there.

Regina studied her for a minute, it dawning on her. “Oh, so this is about the nitwit with that large van.”

“It was an accident. We’re here to help you, without us, this guy could’ve gotten to you.”

“I don’t need your protection, Miss Swan. Now if you excuse me, I have business to attend to.”

“This conversation isn’t over.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Regina,” Sidney interrupted. “Sorry to interrupt, but you have another conference call.”

“And as you can see, that’s my cue to go. You can see yourself out, Miss Swan.” She turned around and sauntered back to her office. Emma got a look at her ass and cursed herself. Damnit. She was falling for this woman.

 

Emma headed back to the station and tried to focus for the rest of the day. But her mind kept going back to the attractive mayor with the good butt. She wasn’t one for dating. She went on dates, had one night stands, but she was not a dater. She noticed that Regina was a, Miss Mills. Perhaps a few dinners wouldn’t hurt. A girl’s gotta eat.

 

So, once the team broke up for the day, Emma headed back to the office in time to see Regina leaving.

 

“Oh, it’s you,” Regina said. She would be lying if she said she was disappointed. Her mind on been on the fiery blonde that had stormed into her office too. “Come to yell at me again? Or perhaps replace those rose bushes?”

“I’m here to apologize for my outburst earlier. I meant what I said, but it came out wrong.”

“Uh huh. Look, I’m a very busy woman…”

“Would you have dinner with me?” Emma blurted out. Tact was never her strong suit.

Regina’s brown eyes widened as she studied the FBI agent. She had just been standing in her office hours ago screaming at her. Now she wanted to have dinner? She was caught a little off guard. “No.”

Emma’s faltered. “No?”

“I have a function to go to.”

“Well, I didn’t mean tonight…”

“Goodbye Miss Swan.”

 

Emma watched her walk off to her car and sighed. Of course she said no. Emma blew it, as per usual. Her mouth always got her in trouble. She kicked herself as she made her way to the diner, dinner for one again. Perhaps it was the way it was meant to be.

 

A few days later, Emma was doing a stakeout when she heard heavy knocking on the window. She looked up and saw Regina, jumping out of her skin a bit. She carefully rolled down the window.

 

“Madam Mayor, how can I…”

“Tomorrow night, 8:00. Meet me at Giovanni’s, it’s black tie so you need to wear a dress and since I asked you, yes I am picking up the check, I don’t want to hear any arguments,” Regina said it so quickly Emma nearly missed it.

“I’m sorry?”

“You asked me out to dinner the other night. I was busy. I’m not tomorrow.”

“Oh. Well…”

“I already spoke to your leader. He told me you guys normally wrap for the day at 6 unless you get a new lead. So, you’re free.”

Emma smiled. “I’ll meet you there.”

“I’ll be the one in the black dress.” And with that, she was gone.

 

**In The Present**

“I remember that black dress,” Regina murmured, smiling. “And I remember the red one that you wore.” Emma giggled, kissing her, causing the older kids to gag.

“But it sounds like you two hated each other,” Roland pointed out.

“We did. At first. But the opposite of love isn’t hate,” Emma told him. “So, Henry, did you learn anything from our story?”

“That Mom’s mood swings are too weird.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Squish.”

Henry half-smiled. “I get it, I get it. Sometimes things just take time to work out.”

“And if they don’t, there’s always someone else. I kissed many a frog before I met your mother.”

“Like Tiana?” Penelope asked.

Emma grinned, kissing her daughter’s tiny nose. “Exactly, Ladybug.”

“Feel better?” Regina asked her oldest.

“Yes.”

“And no matter what, you know we’ll always be the two most important women in your life.” Penelope shot her a look. “Sorry, three women.” That got the little one smiling again.

Henry laughed, pulling his sister onto his lap, kissing her cheek. “You’re cute, kid.”

“Mommy? Mama? What’d you do on your date?” Penelope asked.

“We went out to dinner,” Regina replied. “Then Mama came back to my house for coffee.”

“Yeah, “coffee”,” Emma used air quotes, forgetting for a moment that her boys were no longer the naïve little ones. They started making gagging noises again. Oh well. Their love story wasn’t conventional, but they wouldn’t trade it for the world.


	23. No More Screaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marina requested one where the boys overhear their moms arguing and think they’re getting a divorce. Roland’s 3 here and Henry is 7.

Emma had been taking off a lot of time at the station lately. First Henry got the flu, then Roland caught it from him. Regina’s job as mayor was a lot harder to schedule time off of, so the sheriff did it with little complaint. Was it easy? No, but they were her babies and she would clean sick buckets and make bowl after bowl of chicken noodle soup if it meant making them feel better.

 

But there was one smaller thing that had helped: she and Regina were going to be having a night away from the kids for their anniversaries. Emma’s parents were driving up from Boston to watch the kids and the women were headed to a B&B, just a couple hours away. Their schedules were too hectic for much else but they hadn’t had an adults only vacation since before Henry came into their lives.

 

Then Regina came home with Emma’s favorite beer and chocolates. That should’ve been a sign. The next was how overly affectionate the mayor was being. Finally, Emma had about enough and demanded what the deal was. Regina reluctantly admitted that there was a very important gala the same night they were due to go and that she couldn’t skip it. Emma hated going to those stupid galas and her wife never expected her to go, though she normally would. They already had babysitters, so Regina thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. But Emma wasn’t happy. She knew marrying the mayor meant things like this, but she had been looking forward to that night away! She had it all planned out. But she was so tired, she couldn’t even explain why she was so upset.

 

“I’m sure we can still get our deposit back,” Regina told her.

“I don’t give a damn about our deposit, Regina!” Emma thundered back. “This is our anniversary for Christ’s sake!”

“We’ll go another weekend.”

“When? My parents can’t just drive up here all the time and I can’t constantly be away from the station in case something happens, nor can you be away from this town!”

“You don’t have to shout at me, Emma! I said I was sorry! But there will be important people at this event! If I don’t go, I can forget about getting backup for the new parks and rec project I want to start!”

“It’s always something!”

“And what about you, sheriff? How many times have you had to cancel date night because Graham calls out sick or Lester needs your help with the paperwork?”

“Leroy, his name is Leroy. He’s your employee, technically, you should know his name!”

“Oh, so now you’re mad because I don’t know every Tom, Dick and Harry’s name…”

“No, I’m mad because you cancelled this getaway! The one for our anniversary, no less! 10 years, that’s a pretty big deal if you ask me!”

“Of course it is. You don’t even have to go to the gala with me. We already have a sitter, why don’t you go out with Mary Margaret?”

“I don’t want to spend my anniversary with my best friend! I want to spend it with my wife! Does our marriage mean anything to you?!?”

“Of course it does! There you go, being all melodramatic!”

“Great, so I’m being melodramatic for telling you how I feel. Coming from the woman who’s mood changes quicker than the speed of light!”

 

What the two women didn’t know, was that their sons had come in from outside where they had been playing. Their mommies had little arguments, but they never shouted at each other like this. In fact, neither shouted often. Got stern, yes. But shouting was rare. Roland hid behind Henry, clearly scared.

 

“Henny,” he whispered. “Why Mama and Mommy yelling?”

“I don’t know, Rolo,” Henry replied, solemnly.

Roland covered his hands with his ears. “Too loud. Make them stop!”

“I don’t think I can. This isn’t good Rolo. My friend Grace, her mommy and daddy fought all the time and now they don’t live together anymore.”

“I no want Mama or Mommy to leave!” Roland wailed, tears falling down his face.

“It’s going to be okay,” Henry assured him. “Gracie says it’s not so bad, that she just has to leave stuff at each house. We should pack up some stuff to bring when we visit.”

 

Roland stuck his thumb in his mouth, nodding. Henry gently took him by the hand and lead him up the stairs to their bedrooms.

 

Back in the kitchen, Regina took some deep breaths. She looked into her wife’s green eyes. She didn’t see anger, she saw hurt.

 

“This is ridiculous. Tell me what this is really about.” Emma didn’t say anything. “Emma.” Nothing. “Miss Swan.”

Emma let out a long sigh. “It’s just…I don’t mind you not being able to take time off like I can. I get it, at the station I have a whole team that’s equipped to at least do 75% of my job. You are the only one who can be mayor. But that means I’m the one taking care of the kids.”

Regina was slowly starting to see it. “Which you have been doing a lot lately since they got sick.”

“I don’t mind it, they’re my babies. I’ll do whatever I need to in order to care for them. But it takes a toll. You had to sleep so you wouldn’t be a mess in meetings, meaning I got about 12 hours of sleep in a course of a week.”

The mayor stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Emma’s waist. “And I’m sure the thought of getting to spend the night at a B&B where we could just relax and sleep in is what got you through it.”

“Kinda.” Emma sighed. “I’m sorry I lost my cool, Regina. I’m just…tired. I don’t get why. I used to run on nothing when I was in the FBI.”

“Chasing after criminals is a lot different than caring for sick kids. You deserve a little R&R. Look, I can’t call off this gala but why don’t we reschedule it for the following weekend? I’ll clear my schedule, threaten Graham and Leroy into keeping everyone in shape down at the station. If your parents can’t come, then we can ask Mary Margaret and David or Jefferson to look after the boys. You know they’re always up for having sleepovers with Neal and Grace.”

Emma smiled. “Sounds good. Did I apologize, yet?”

“You don’t need to.” She gently kissed her wife. “Now, what do you say we go get the boys and head to Granny’s for dinner. Give us both a break from cooking.”

“Sounds good.”

 

They went into the entry way and saw the boys’ muddy shoes by the door. Figuring they must have come inside, they headed upstairs and went into Henry’s room. They saw he was putting some stuff in his suitcase, with a few piles around him. Both mothers raised an eyebrow.

 

“Uh, Squish?” Regina asked. Henry looked up. “What’s going on?”

“I’m deciding what to take.”

“What to take where? Running off to join the Wiggles on tour?” Emma teased. She got serious when she saw that her son wasn’t joking.

“For when you and Mommy get a divorce.”

“What? Henry, Mommy and I aren’t getting a divorce.”

“You two were screaming at each other. Grace said that her parents screamed at her and then her mommy moved out.”

 

Both women felt their hearts sink. The boys had overheard them arguing. They had argued before, but that had been a pretty bad one.

 

“I’m just deciding what to bring. I don’t know if I want to keep Charming here or there,” he held up his favorite teddy bear.

Before either of his moms could reply, Roland walked in. “I need help.”

“With what?” Regina asked, wearily.

“My suitcase. Can’t find it.”

“Alright, family meeting. Come on,” Emma said, scooping up the toddler and sitting with him on her lap on the bed. Regina took Henry by the hand and lead him over, pulling him onto her own lap.

“Listen boys,” the mayor began. “Yes, Mama and I had a fight. We shouldn’t have been screaming at each other like that, that’s not how you solve an argument, but we were just both very upset. Doesn’t make it okay, though.”

“I love your mommy very, very much and she loves me. Neither of us are going to leave, no one is getting divorce. You both can keep your stuff here.”

“Promise?” Henry asked.

Regina cupped his face. “I promise.”

Emma stroked Roland’s curls. “And we love you both. We’re sorry we scared you so much.”

“No more yelling?” The smallest member of the family asked.

“No more yelling,” the blonde assured him, kissing his temple.

“You and Mommy make me and Roland hug after we fight,” Henry pointed out. “And say we love each other.”

 

Regina and Emma smiled. They pulled both their sons in for a big family group hug.

 

“I love you, Em,” Regina said, looking lovingly at her wife.

“I love you too, Gina,” Emma replied, kissing her. “And I love our two little monkeys.” The women showered her sons’ faces with kisses. The boys instantly felt better. As long as their mommies were staying together and they didn’t have to split up their stuff, they were happy.


	24. Teenage Daughters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few people wanted to see Teen Penelope and I got a very detailed and awesome prompt from Kamloth, so gotta give credit there because I definitely couldn’t have come up with a better idea! Penelope is 15 here.

Regina woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. She went to move to grab it and bark at whoever was daring to call her at that ungodly hour, but her wife’s arm was thrown across her stomach. The mayor grumbled, she got way too cuddly in her sleep. After pushing it away and seeing the time (12:30), she quickly answered it.

 

“Whoever you are, the town better be on fire or World War III better be breaking out,” she snapped.

“Regina, it’s Leroy.”

“I stand by what I said.”

“I tried calling Emma but she’s not answering.”

Regina held the phone out so the officer could hear her wife’s snoring before returning the phone to her ear. “Normal people are sleeping at this hour.”

“We got call that there’s a man and teenage girl fighting at 325 Fairhaven Lane. They say the girl’s description matches Penelope.”

“Penelope? My Penelope? That’s impossible, she’s in bed asleep.”

“I just thought I’d let you and Emma handle it.”

“It’s not my daughter. My little girl wouldn’t be out there.”

“She’s wearing her “Two Moms Are Better Than One” sweatshirt.”

 

Regina got out of bed, staying on the line as she padded across the hall, pushing open the door to her daughter’s room. She expected to see the teen fast asleep so she could yell at Leroy to just do his damn job, but to her surprise it was empty. And the window was ajar. Panic replaced her anger.

 

“She’s not in bed…I’ll get Emma and we’ll handle this.”

 

Regina hung up and raced back into her bedroom, shaking Emma awake.

 

“Mmm…Regina, not now…I was having a dream…”

“Penelope snuck out.”

Emma’s eyes shot open. “What?”

“Leroy called, she’s apparently fighting with some man. I didn’t believe it, but her bed is empty and her window is open.”

 

The sheriff jumped out of bed and pulled on her jacket before going to the closet and grabbing her gun, making sure it was safe in her pocket. Regina also threw on her jacket and they hopped in the car, speeding to the address that Leroy had given them. Sure enough, there was their daughter, blonde curls and all, arguing with an older man who was wearing a robe and looking very pissed. Regina and Emma jumped out, running over.

 

“Baby, are you okay?” Regina asked, pulling her daughter to her and cupping her face.

Penelope turned bright red. “Mom…”

“Who do you think you are picking a fight with my 15-year-old daughter?” Emma asked the man.

“Your daughter isn’t completely innocent here,” the man fired back.

“She’s just a little girl. So again, I repeat, why are you arguing with her? Or do we need to have this talk at the station?”

“Listen Sheriff, she’s the one that needs to be arrested. She was trespassing on my property!”

 

Emma looked over at her daughter, who was in the midst of being inspected by Regina. Penelope hung her head, clearly embarrassed.

 

“What?”

“I woke up because the security lights turned on. I thought the neighbor’s dog had tripped them again, so I went outside to shoo him away. I found your “little girl” trying to sneak up my trellis.” He pointed to the wall decoration, which lead directly up to a second story window, which a teen boy was standing in front of, looking mortified. Emma shut her eyes and Regina folded her arms, giving her daughter a very serious look.

“Is this true, young lady?” The mayor asked.

“Maybe…” Penelope said, nervously.

“I’m not going to press charges, but I needed to make sure that she never did something like that again. My Colin is only 15, he doesn’t need girls sneaking up into his bedroom.”

“It won’t happen again, I promise,” Emma said. “I’m very sorry all this went down and that my wife and I showed up guns a blazing.”

“I would’ve done the same if it were my son. But if I see her around here again when it’s not daylight, I won’t be so easy on her.” With that, the man went inside.

 

Penelope saw the looks on her mothers’ faces. She was in deep, deep trouble.

 

“So…you guys having a good night?” She asked.

“You think this is funny?” Regina asked. “I wake up with some call from Leroy saying that you’re fighting with some strange older man. I think no, there’s no way. My daughter is tucked in, snoozing away. There’s no way she would sneak out and do something like that…”

“Mom…”

“I go in your room and you’re not there, the window’s open. Do you know how scary that was?”

“Well, I’m sorry! I would’ve had Colin come over to our place, but both of you are so overprotective, but Roland’s room is right next to mine and he’s no better. So, I figured I’d sneak over to his place. I just never came across a parent who was as crazy protective as all of you when I’ve done this before!”

“Wait a minute,” Emma interrupted. “What do you mean when you’ve done this before?”

Penelope averted her glance. “Did I say that? Oh, I just meant…”

“Do you make it a habit of sneaking out and going to boys’ houses?!?” Regina asked, incredulously.

 

She wasn’t stupid, she knew that her daughter was getting older and that she was probably going to start dating soon, but she never mentioned boys (or girls for that matter). She had celebrity crushes, but never talked about people her age that she liked. The family had been a little relieved that she seemed a little innocent of the dating world. Yet, apparently, she wasn’t.

 

“We never have sex or anything,” Penelope added, quickly. That much was the truth. Her moms had already given her the talk and all that jazz, she wasn’t going to give up her virtue that easy. Especially not when the boy’s parents were just a few doors down. “We just kiss and talk.”

“You can do all that in the daylight,” Emma told her. “In public spaces or downstairs, when we’re home.”

“I just know how protective all of you are! Roland freaks out if even one of my guy friends gives me a hug. I knew you and Mom would interrogate anyone I brought home.”

“Well, how did you think we’d feel if we knew that you were off sneaking into boys’ windows?”

“I didn’t think I’d get caught…”

“Alright, we need to stop having this conversation on someone else’s lawn,” Regina said. “Get in the car.”

 

Penelope got in the backseat while her moms slid in the front. The ride home was dead silent for the most part.

 

“So…did you at least think he was cute?” Penelope asked. Emma turned around to give her a Look. The teen folded her hands in her lap, keeping her mouth shut for the rest of the drive.

 

When they got inside, Roland was coming down, his curls a mess, clearly disheveled. The 21-year-old was on break from college.

 

“Where have you guys been? I got up to get a glass of water and realized you all were missing,” he said with a yawn. “I was gonna call the police, but Mama sort of is the police.”

Emma wearily smiled, kissing his cheek. “Sorry baby. We got a call and had to go pick up your sister.”

Roland eyed Penelope. “Didn’t you go to bed at like 10?”

“She snuck out…to go see a boy.”

That woke their youngest son up completely. “What?!?”

Penelope groaned. “Thanks, Mama.”

“What? We know the truth, your brothers should as well.”

“So, are you going to call Henry at his place and tell him too?”

“What’s his name? Why did he make you sneak out? I’m going to kick his ass…” Roland grumbled.

“Language,” Regina chastised, leading to an eyeroll from him. “Anywhere, your sister chose to sneak out. Apparently, she’s a little heartbreaker.”

“I am not a heartbreaker! I try to get the boys to stick but since I won’t bring them home, none of them last. Colin was the only one to understand, since well…you guys saw his dad.”

“Well now we have to meet him,” Roland said. “So, I can kill him.”

“Mom! Mama!” Penelope whined.

“Alright, Rolo, it’s late, go back up to bed,” Regina told him, kissing his cheek. Roland turned to the stairs, mumbling something under his breath about getting a gun.

“As for you, young lady,” Emma turned her attention back to her daughter. “You are grounded for a month.”

“A month?!? That’s not fair!” Penelope protested.

“You’re right, two is so much better,” Regina replied. “You can’t do stuff like this Penelope. If you had come to us, maybe we would’ve tried to calm down a little, had a talk with Roland. This doesn’t prove that we can be any less protective.”

“We love you and we need you to stay safe,” Emma continued. “We’ll also be putting an alarm on your window, so we’ll hear it if you try to sneak out of it.”

“We can talk about you seeing Colin when your punishment is over. But, no more sneaking into his bedroom window and he can’t try to come through yours.”

Penelope let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Fine. Can I go back up to bed?”

“You’re sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight, the windows don’t open. Mama will fix yours tomorrow.”

“You both suck.” Penelope stormed down the hall and into the guest bedroom.

 

Regina leaned into her wife, who wrapped her arms around her.

 

“So much for our sweet little girl who had no interest in dating,” Emma mused.

“And to think we used to worry about her letting down her hair and letting boys climb it.” Regina was silent for a minute. “Are we really going to let her date this Colin kid?”

“We have to, she’s growing up. Plus, something tells me between us and his father, they won’t be able to do much of anything.” Regina slowly nodded into her shoulder. “We should head up to bed.” Emma lead her wife up the stairs.

“It’d be overkill to put a baby monitor back in her room, right?” Regina only half-joked.

Emma laughed. “Let’s start with the window alarm. I think that’s our best bet.”


	25. Bite The Forbidden Fruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I had a request a long time ago for Regina to get jealous of someone flirting with Emma, I just can’t find it. So, if it was you, here you go! I’m setting this before they had kids. Rated somewhere between T and M, things get a little steamy…haha. I can’t be trusted when it comes to this stuff!

The downfall of being mayor is that vacation time isn’t exactly in big supply, you have to take free moments when they come. So, after Emma and Regina got married, they weren’t able to go on a honeymoon. Emma understood completely, she knew she probably shouldn’t leave the station down a sheriff around that time anyway. But a few months later, things had calmed down and Regina was able to devote 2 whole weeks to their honeymoon and Graham assured Emma that the station would be fine with just a deputy and the other officers. The two women chose to travel to Hawaii, staying at a resort where everything was included…including alcohol.

 

They wouldn’t go out clubbing every night, they weren’t those types of people. Emma had been at a point, but she had been out of the lifestyle so long that it just wasn’t something she wanted to jump back into. During the day, they’d do all sorts of activities, like snorkeling or visiting volcanoes. Regina even agreed to hike up a few trails on the condition that Emma would also visit a few muesems with her.

 

However, near the end of their first week, they went to one of the tamer bars at their resort. Regina was sitting at the table, eating the order of mozzarella sticks they had ordered while Emma was off getting their drinks. She saw a man walk up to Emma, clearly flirting. Emma just rolled her eyes and flashed her left hand, showing off her wedding band. He seemed to get the hint and walked away. Regina smiled and sipped her water, she knew men were no competition for her anyway.

 

That’s when a woman approached her wife. Regina tried to stay calm as the red head rubbed the blonde’s arm. Emma could hold her own and pulled away. She was attempting to show off her wedding ring, but the woman wasn’t having any of it. She kept pointing to the dance floor and putting her hands all over Emma. Regina’s fist clenched and the mozzarella stick broke in her hand. She wasn’t upset with Emma, it wasn’t her fault that she was getting hit on and she wasn’t returning the advances. She couldn’t very well walk away, she was waiting on the drinks. Still, Regina had always assumed that the wedding ring would be enough to keep people at bay.

 

Clearly, she was wrong.

 

Regina knew she had gotten lucky. Emma was very attractive. That wasn’t the reason the mayor had fallen for her, but she couldn’t deny that it was a plus. She had long blonde curls, the deepest green eyes. She wasn’t exactly twig skinny but wasn’t all curves like Regina was either. It made sense that people would go after her. Regina got flirted with as well. But, they belonged to each other. They weren’t overly possessive, they just didn’t share. If it had been Regina up there, Emma would’ve sauntered over and wrapped an arm around her, doing all she could to make the person get the hint. But not Regina. She knew they had plans of returning to the same bar the following night after they went on a cruise to see the dolphins and swim with them. When they did, it would be quite clear that Emma Swan was taken.

 

Emma walked back over, holding the drinks. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright.” Regina sipped her Cosmo, watching her wife sit down. “For everything all included, they don’t skimp on alcohol.”

“I know. I almost wish we didn’t have to leave.”

“We’re coming back here tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, why don’t we save the dancing for them. I have another workout in mind…”

Emma smiled, quickly downing about half of her mojito. “I think that sounds great.” She stood up, holding her hand out to Regina, who happily accepted it. Together, they headed back to the hotel.

 

The minute they stepped into the hotel room, Regina pulled Emma into her arms, kissing her. Emma deepened it, wrapping her arms around her wife’s waist to pull her closer. She was about to reach for the zipper on Regina’s dress but clearly, she didn’t want to get naked, not yet. Regina moved her lips to down Emma’s neck. The kisses became rougher and rougher, until it was quite clear what she was trying to do. Emma let out a moan.

 

“Oh…you saw that woman flirting with me, didn’t you?”

 

Regina didn’t respond, she just worked on leaving her mark. Emma didn’t mind, she had done the same to her wife in the past. Yes, they were no longer teenagers, but it was a source of pleasure for them anyway. Emma’s curls would typically cover the spot Regina was biting, but the next evening, she’d wear her hair up. If it kept people at bay, it’d be worth it. Finally, the mayor finished. Emma smirked at her.

 

“So, you had something to eat…you think I could?” She whispered, seductively as she gently pushed Regina back onto the bed. Regina smiled up at her, pulling off her dress. Emma straddled her and removed her underwear, kissing down her wife’s body. When she reached the area of impact, it was Regina’s point to moan.

 

They would each get jealous at different points. There was no stopping it, they were in love. They also knew there might be points where they developed crushes on other women, but they would never act on it, they didn’t need to. Anything they wanted, their wildest dreams, they already had. There was no one else meant for either of them.

 

The next day, they had lots of fun swimming with the dolphins, taking lots of pictures and video.  After dinner, they headed back to the same bar. Sure enough, Emma wore her hair up. It seemed to be enough to keep people at bay. Though, she then noticed some guy trying to get Regina to dance. She walked over to them and smiled, wrapping an arm around Regina’s waist.

 

“Hey babe,” she said. “I got the drinks.”

“Thanks,” Regina smiled, kissing her.

The man studied Emma and smirked. “Well, she can join too.”

Emma narrowed her eyebrows. “I could also join in on her kicking your ass. Or you can walk away. Your choice.”

 

The guy rolled his eyes and walked off. Regina smiled, turning to face Emma.

 

“Now who’s jealous?”

“I don’t have to be. Anyone can flirt with you, Regina Mills. But, at the end of the night, you’re only coming home with me.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”


	26. A Journey Into Womanhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oncer4Life11 wanted to see Penelope going through puberty and have her moms helping her out! She is 11 here.

Penelope was standing in front of the mirror, examining herself in her cami. It was starting to feel a little tight in the chest area. It wasn’t that she needed the next size up, because then they were too baggy and defeated the purpose of wearing one in the first place. She knew a few girls in her class had already started wearing bras and she was starting to think maybe she was next. She just hoped her moms wouldn’t be embarrassing about it. They were always calling her “their baby”.

 

Grabbing a button down, she threw it on and headed down the stairs. Henry was off at school and Roland was out with friends, so it was just them that day. In the living room, Regina was reading the paper and Emma was watching T.V.

 

“Mom? Mama? Can I talk to you guys about something?” She asked. Her moms looked up and saw the look on her face.

“Of course, Ladybug,” Emma said, snapping off what she was watching. Her wife lowered her paper and gestured for her to come sit between them. Penelope walked over and lowered herself in the middle. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“It’s just…my tank tops are getting tighter.”

“Do you need some new ones?” Regina asked.

“Not tight all over, just in the…chest.”

 

The two mothers caught on to what they were saying and smiles went across their faces. Their little girl was going through what every woman must go through at one point: puberty. They had sort of noticed it themselves, but weren’t positive if it was time and didn’t want to embarrass her, so they waited.

  
“I think it’s time we went bra shopping,” Emma said, putting an arm around her daughter. “Don’t worry sweetie, you’re pretty lucky for a pre-teen, you have not one but two moms to help you out.”

“So, it’s okay? That I want to wear one?” Penelope asked.

Regina laughed. “Princess, it’s a part of life. Almost every young woman needs a bra at one point or another. I was younger than you when I had to get my first one.”

“I was a little older,” Emma added. “It’s important to remember that everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, it’s no competition. So, if yours aren’t as big or are bigger than the other girls, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She had to admit, the shapes and sizes talk was a lot easier to have with her daughter than it had been with the boys. Oh, how they had squirmed when she told them that about their downstairs business.

Penelope just nodded, surprised by their reaction. “Okay, Mama.”

“We could go right now.”

“Right now?”

“What else are we doing?” Regina asked with a chuckle. “Come on, go get your coat. We’re going shopping.”

 

Penelope left the room to go grab her stuff and Emma rest her head on Regina’s shoulder. The mayor wrapped an arm around the sheriff, both of them sadly smiling.

 

“Our little girl is growing up,” Emma said.

“I know. But we’ll get her through this,” Regina softly replied. “But you owe me five bucks.”

Emma grumbled, pulling away from her wife to grab her purse. “If she had just held out two more days…oh well…there’s still the whole Aunt Flo situation to wait for.”

 

They headed to the mall in a neighboring town. There was a bra shop in Storybrooke, but the women knew that it was a small town and they were pretty public figures. They didn’t want their daughter’s visit from the booby fairy to be talked about.

 

Penelope was honestly overwhelmed as they walked into the teen section of one of the department stores. They had passed the adult section on the way over and she thought that was bad! There were so many different colors and sizes. Why would some girls want to wear a pink bra with leopard prints she wondered? Regina placed her hands on her shoulders, telling she was freaking out.

 

“It’s alright. We’re going to help you with this. Here, Mama knows how to measure for this stuff, Grandma I guess did the same for her. Go with her in the dressing room and come back out,” she explained, gently. Penelope followed her blonde mother into the dressing room and allowed her to measure her. It was a little awkward, her mother hadn’t seen her without her top on in a few years. Well, awkward for Penelope, Emma just laughed.

“Honey, you used to run around naked, this is nothing.”

The pre-teen turned bright red. “Mama!”

“It’s the truth. Alright, put your top back on, we can go back out there.” Emma left her with some privacy and crossed over to Regina. “B Cup.”

“Figured.”

“I wasn’t even a B Cup at her age.”

“Shapes and sizes,” Regina reminded her. “I was a D cup by the time I was in high school.”

“Ouch.”

Regina shrugged. “Not so bad anymore.”

 

When Penelope emerged, they went back to the proper section and helped her select the right ones that would go under her tops.

 

“So, if something like that would show under a shirt,” Penelope pointed to a lime green one with blue polka dots. “Why do they sell it?”

“For a reason you don’t need to understand quite yet,” Emma said, stifling a laugh. Her wife just rolled her eyes.

“Just remember they’re called private parts for a reason,” Regina told her. “No one gets to see them but you.”

“I know Mom,” Penelope said, slightly rolling her own eyes. The attitude was, of course, not totally appreciated but it was nice to see their daughter coming back under all that embarrassment.

“Alright little missy, let’s just go try these on.”

 

After that was done, they lead her to the checkout, in which Penelope tried to look anywhere but at the cashier. Emma smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head.

 

“No one will be able to tell you wear them, I promise.” It was sort of weird to see Penelope get so shy about stuff. But I guess even puberty does that to a girl. “How about we head to the food court and have dinner there?” Penelope’s lips curled up a bit. “We could even get a bunch of different bad food that will make your mother have a cow.” That got her smiling fully. Regina shook her head as she signed the credit card slip. Her wife, always the enabler.

                                                                              

They consumed tons of greasy treats in the food court (well Penelope and Emma did, Regina got a salad and an ice tea) and even got some ice cream afterwards. All in all, Penelope was beginning to think that this puberty thing wasn’t all that bad.

 

That was until a few days later when she started having stomach pains. She played it off as her still being affected from the food court bonanza but then she went to the bathroom and she knew just what was happening. This time, Emma wasn’t home. Penelope loved her other mom, she did, but she tended to be the more embarrassing one of the two. Still, she really didn’t feel well and knew she didn’t have much of a choice. She made her way to Regina’s study and knocked on the door. She was granted entry and walked inside.

 

“Mommy…”

That got Regina’s attention. “Yes?” She removed her reading glasses and stood up crossing the room.

“I uh…need a…you know…a pad.”

Regina smiled, touching her daughter’s cheek. “Alright, Princess. Does your tummy hurt?”

Penelope nodded. “Yeah.”

“There are pads in my bathroom. You know how to put one on?” Her daughter nodded. “Great. Then you can lay down in my bed and I’ll get you some ginger ale and a hot water bottle.”

Penelope lightly smiled. “Thanks, Mommy.”

“It’s no problem, baby. Welcome to the club.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead and watched her walk off, letting out a small sigh. Her baby girl really was growing up. It was happening so fast.

 

She also was going to owe Emma $5...

### Notes:


	27. Date Crashers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably the most requested thing I get (outside for more Penelope because y’all love her so much!), is for one of the kids to be gay/lesbian/bi. Also, combines a few requests I got to include August. So here we have it…Henry is 17, Roland is 13 and Penelope is 7.

“You need to tell them,” Violet told Henry as she laid back on his bed. “They’re starting to think that we’re a couple.”

“I told them we’re just friends,” Henry replied, desperately digging through his closet. “You could be of some help you know.”

“You’re gay, aren’t you the one with the impeccable fashion sense?” Henry sent her a glare. “It was a joke, chill out.” She got up and walked over to his closet, digging through it. “Your moms could just help.”

“No, because Mom would try to get me to overdress and Mama would take pictures.” Henry sank down into his chair. “Plus, it would mean telling them.”

 

Henry had known he was gay for about a year. At first, he thought he was just bi, but after dating a few girls, he realized that he only had a thing for guys. Violet and he had gone out on one date before he broke the news to her. She was totally okay with all of it and still wanted to be friends. Henry knew his moms were getting suspicious that he was always hanging out with her, especially since he had never hid a girlfriend from them before and was always insisting they were “just friends”.

 

It wasn’t that he thought they would disapprove. Regina was bisexual and Emma was a lesbian. They stressed all the time that they didn’t care what his sexuality was. At first, he told himself he’d just wait until he found a boy he wanted to date (and that wanted to date him back). Then it just turned into him being too nervous to tell anyone. It was hard to put a label on himself, he didn’t want anyone looking at him differently. At the same time, he knew that the label was important, because it was a part of him, who he was.

 

“Here, this is good for the movies,” Violet said, holding out a black t-shirt and jeans. “Do not overdo it with the cologne. And just be yourself.”

“You are a pretty good friend when you’re not being annoying.”

Violet laughed. “I’ll take that for a compliment.”

 

The door opened and Penelope walked in, holding some of her Barbies.

 

“Henry, what are you doing?” She asked.

“Just hanging out with Violet.”

“Are you two kissing?”

Henry laughed. “No, we’re just friends.”

“But she’s a girl.”

“Girls and guys can be just friends.”

“If you don’t kiss her, who do you kiss?”

“Yeah Henry,” Violet put her hands on her hips. “Who do you kiss?”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Did you want something, Penny?”

“Will you please play with me?” She batted her big green eyes, knowing he found them hard to resist, but he had to.

“Not right now, why don’t you go find Roland and ask him if he’ll play with you? If he says no, tell him I’ll hide his guitar.”

 

Penelope’s eyes lit up and she ran down the hall giddily. Violet laughed.

 

“Your little sister is so cute.”

“She’s very devious, she just hides it behind her angelic face.”

“I love your house. I’m an only child, it’s so boring.”

“I miss being an only child some days. It was just me and my moms for 6 years. Don’t get me wrong, I love Penelope and Roland and wouldn’t trade them for the world, it was just easier back then.”

“Life isn’t meant to be easy.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

 

The two got to work on their homework and about an hour later, there was a knock on the open door. Henry looked up and saw Emma standing there.

 

“Hey Mama. Good day?”

“Eh, it was alright.” She looked over at Violet, who was sprawled out on the bed and smiled. She was such a sweet girl, the perfect one for her squish. “How are you doing Violet?”

“Great, Miss Swan.” The teen gave her a small smile.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“I can’t, thank you for the offer though.”

“I’m going out tonight, Mama,” Henry butted in. “With some friends. I won’t be out too late.”

Emma studied them for a minute. They were both suddenly unavailable? Maybe this was the night her and Regina could finally catch them. “Alright. I’m going to go check on your brother now.”

 

With that, she made her way down the hall to Roland’s room and headed inside. He was begrudgingly playing Barbies with Penelope. She couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as her daughter animatedly had her doll talk to the one in her brother’s hand, while Roland was just giving gruff responses. She wasn’t sure which was funnier: how annoyed her son was or how oblivious her daughter appeared to be to his unhappiness.

 

“Hey kids.”

Penelope dropped her dolls and smiled. “Mama!” She ran to her, throwing her arms around her legs. Emma grinned and picked her up, kissing her head.

“Did you con Rolo into playing with you?”

“Uh huh!”

“That’s my girl. Roland, your mom and I need you to watch her tonight.”

“Can’t Henry do it?” The teen whined.

“He’s got plans. We’ll be leaving after dinner.”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“Sorry kid.”

 

Later on after Violet had left and they had dinner, Henry left for the movies. Roland took Penelope through to the living room to watch a movie (or more so she could watch a movie and he could text all his friends). Regina and Emma did their best to clean up as best they could.

 

“Won’t it be awkward if he catches us spying?” Emma asked, she was beginning to doubt her own plan.

“We’re not spying, not really. We just so happen are going to be seeing the same movie he is,” Regina replied. “Plus, if he’s really going to be there with his friends, then there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I just don’t get if he’s dating Violet what the big secret is? He knows we like her.”

“Maybe that’s it? Didn’t you ever date someone your parents didn’t like just to get a rise out of them?”

“Yes. I also never hid anyone from them. They didn’t meet anyone, but they knew who I was going out with.”

“We’ll sort this out.”

 

They headed out to the theater. Sure enough, Henry’s car was parked there. The movie was still showing the features, so they were able to get in with no issue. They settled into a row by the back and spotted a familiar jacket a few rows ahead. It was definitely Henry, but there was no sign of Violet. Then they spotted Marco Booth’s son sitting right next to him. August and Henry had been going to school together since kindergarten, they were friends. But everyone else nearby seemed to be adults, clearly not with them.

 

“Maybe he didn’t lie,” Regina whispered. “Maybe he really is just out with a friend.”

 

A minute later, August held out the popcorn bucket to Henry, who accepted it. A moment later, August leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Henry laughed and then kissed him.

 

The two mothers exchanged a Look. They hadn’t been completely wrong, their son was on a date…with a guy.

 

“I told you!” Emma whispered harshly.

“When? You thought he was dating Violet just as much as I did.”

“When he was 13. I thought he was at least bi. I just had a feeling.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Let’s just watch the movie. We’ll sneak out before the credits roll. Knowing Henry, he’ll make them stay to watch the extra scene that comes after.”

 

They sat there in silence for a couple of hours, both wondering the same thing. Why hadn’t Henry told them? Did he think they would care? They obviously wouldn’t judge him, they had made it clear and they had never been opposed to him dating in the past. They assumed it would be easier to come out to two moms, than it would to heterosexual parents. But, then again, coming out is never easy. Even when you know they’re going to be okay with it.

 

Once the credits hit, they made a beeline out of the theater and went home. They busied themselves with getting Penelope ready for bed and sending Roland off to at least rest too. They were enjoying some hot chocolate when they heard the door open and shut 30 minutes later.

 

“We’re in here, Squish,” Emma called out. Henry walked in, smiling, which made his moms smile too. He had definitely been kissed. “How was the movie?”

“It was good.”

“That’s good.” Regina nodded to the kettle. “Do you want some hot chocolate?”

“I’m alright, thanks. I think I’ll just go to bed.” He kissed them each on the cheeks.

“Night baby, we love you.”

“I love you guys too.” Henry started walking out of the kitchen, then paused before turning around. “Moms?”

“Yes?”

“I sort of lied to you tonight…I didn’t go out with my friends. I went out with August.”

“Isn’t August a friend?” Emma asked.

“He was…now he’s sort of my boyfriend.”

Emma smiled. “Well, thank you for telling us.”

“Is it okay?”

“Of course it’s okay, he’s a nice boy, you’re a nice boy. He’s very lucky to have nailed someone like you.”

Henry rolled his eyes. “I’ll make sure to tell him my mama said so.” Though, when he left the room, he was smiling again, relieved to finally have the secret off his chest.

 

Regina and Emma clinked their mugs together, thankful that he felt comfortable enough to finally be honest. Now, they just had to make sure this August was really good enough for their little boy…


	28. The First One Is The Worst One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was sent in by mariemorgan19, she wanted to see one of the kids get their heartbroken. I feel pretty protective of the Henry/August pairing for now, so Penelope won the game haha. She is 16 in this one shot.

Regina and Emma didn’t like Will that their daughter had started bringing around. It wasn’t that he was a bad boy or anything, he just seemed “off” and not just because he was 18. He was the first boy that Penelope showed any real interest in having a long-term relationship with, though, so they did their best to just interrogate him whenever possible. He seemed to be the only date that any of their kids had to not be intimidated by the fact that they were the sheriff and mayor, respectively. That was one of the biggest clues. Even so, there wasn’t much they could do about it. Forbidding Penelope from dating him would just be an even bigger pull.

 

“I need to talk to you guys about something,” Penelope said. It was a typical Thursday evening, the three of them enjoying dinner together.

“This should be good,” Emma said as she sipped her wine.

“Well…there’s this party.”

“Parents?” Regina asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Penelope replied, quickly. A little too quickly.

“Who’s party, is it?” Emma questioned.

“Ava’s.”

“So, if I called Michael, he’d tell me that he and Dory are going to be there?”

“Yeah. Totally.”

“Penelope.”

Penelope sighed. “Alright, fine. No parents, but they do know there’s going to be a party and their condition was no alcohol or anything like that. Please, Mama.”

Emma looked over at Regina who definitely looked unsure herself. “I don’t know,” the mayor finally said.

“If someone brings alcohol, I’ll leave. I’m just going to hang out with my friends and Will.”

“You’re home by 10.”

“Come on, it’s not going to…”

“You want to go, you’re home by 10.”

Penelope sighed. “Fine.” She stabbed her chicken and put it in her mouth to prevent any sass coming out. She didn’t need her moms giving her a reason to ground her for the night.

 

The truth was, she wasn’t going to the party. There was one going on but it wasn’t Will’s thing. He didn’t nessecarily get along with Penelope’s friends. They were going to a bonfire with his friends, which was going to include alcohol. She knew her moms would’ve never allowed that one. She figured there was no way they were ever going to figure it out. She wouldn’t even drink, just in case.

 

The next night, she tore through her closet, trying to find something mildly appropriate for the bonfire. All of Will’s friends had hot girlfriends and they always seemed to wear just the right thing. Her mothers were all for expressing one’s self, but not like that. Until Will, she had never really wanted to anyway. She was just going to have to alter an outfit. She found a dress she had worn to the last benefit Regina had held for one donor or another and got to wore. Soon, the skirt would fall about 5 inches above her knee, the sleeves were cut and she made more room for her cleavage. She pulled a longer skirt up her legs and threw a sweatshirt on top, knowing she wouldn’t be able to leave the house like that. Her makeup would have to be done in Will’s car as well.

 

Honking outside let her know he had arrived, so she threw her makeup into her bag and headed downstairs.

 

“Bye guys, I’ll be back by curfew,” she called to them, waving. They bid her goodbye and she raced out to Will’s car, sliding in next to him.

“That’s what you’re wearing?”

“Start driving, I’ll fix myself in a minute.”

 

Regina and Emma really were expecting their daughter to miss curfew, she had put up such a stink about it in the first place. They expected a long explanation as to “It only got hot at 9:45” or something of that affect. But to their surprise, the door opened and slammed shut at only a quarter to 9.

 

“Penny? Is that you?” Emma asked.

 

No response, just faint sniffling followed by shuffling up the stairs. The wives exchanged a look before going up and knocking on their daughter’s door. No response, but she was definitely crying. Regina pushed the door open and they found her, wearing an outfit she definitely hadn’t when she left. She was crying and shaking, her obscene amount of makeup running. Both mothers rushed to her side, Emma slowly rubbing her back.

 

“Ladybug, what happened?”

“Nothing,” Penelope whispered.

“This isn’t nothing. Why are you dressed like this? Why are you crying?”

“Just leave me alone!”

“We can’t do that, baby,” Regina said. “Not until you talk to us.”

Penelope sighed, sitting up and wiping her face. “Will and I didn’t go to the party, we went to this bonfire with his friends.” Emma and Regina cast a disappointed look, but didn’t say anything, they wanted to hear the whole story. “It was fine, at first. I wasn’t drinking, but Will was. He wasn’t really…really paying attention to me, so I asked him if he wanted to take a walk. We did and we started kissing…which lead to a little more.”

Emma braced herself. “Did you…”

“No. I wanted to, he did too. But before we did, I told him that I loved him and that I was glad he was going to be my first. Then he…then he…”

“What did he do?” Regina asked, her fists clenching.

“He started laughing. Then he realized I was serious and said…said that wasn’t this was…that he didn’t love me. I got upset and he still thought we were gonna do it. When I said no, he called me a tease and broke up with me.”

 

With that, Penelope burst into a fresh batch of tears. Emma tightly wrapped her arms around her daughter, gently rocking her back and forth in place. Regina joined the hug from behind, gently stroking her hair. In that moment, they both wanted to go hunt Will down and beat the crap out of him, but they couldn’t. Not then. This wasn’t Penelope, she didn’t pour her feelings out to just anyone (her family was the rare exception) and then the one time she did, the person threw it back in her face. She was so incredibly heartbroken, she needed both of her moms.

 

“You listen to me, Penelope Victoria,” Regina said soothingly, but firmly. “You are not a tease.  You thought that he loved you and you should only do that with someone you love. You have every right to say no and to feel comfortable.”

“And he’s an idiot if he can’t see what a beautiful, amazing girl you are,” Emma added. “You can do sooo much better than him, Ladybug.”

“One day you’ll find a boy who treats you like the princess that you are.”

“But I…I love him,” Penelope wailed.

“I know Princess,” Regina whispered, stroking her hair. “I know. First heartbreaks suck, don’t they?”

 

After a while, Penelope calmed down. Regina pulled away and got a good look at her face. Her makeup was running everywhere, her eyes were bloodshot and she was clearly still shaking.

 

“Alright, here’s what we’re going to do, I’m going to get you some pajamas to change into. Mama’s going to wipe all that junk off your face and then I’ll make us some hot chocolate. Sound good?” The teen just shrugged. Regina got up and went to the wardrobe, pulling out her daughter’s favorite pajamas: red and black checkard pajama pants and a black school t-shirt. Penelope carefully took them and went into her adjoining bathroom, shutting the door.

Emma sighed, leaning backwards on the bed. “Do we ground her for lying?”

“No, I think she’s hurting enough.” Regina sat next to her. “Tomorrow, I am going to find this guy and murder him.”

“Not without me.”

“Do you think he gave her a ride home?”

“No, my guess is she walked.”

“Stupid punk. I knew he was no good. I should’ve just told her no from the start.”

Emma took her hand. “And then they would’ve snuck around to see each other.”

“Why was she dressed like that? She left the house in a full skirt and sweatshirt. It’s about 60 degrees out there…”

“Something tells me that it was covering up all that. I think that’s the dress she wore to that benefit a few weeks ago, just altered.”

Regina shook her head. “It was such a nice dress.”

“We can’t be too hard on her. At least not tonight. She needs us and we’ll be there for her. Lectures can wait until morning.”

 

The mayor knew she was right. She needed to busy herself in mom mode so she didn’t start ranting and raving. When she had her first broken heart, that’s the last thing she would’ve wanted. She quickly kissed Emma and headed downstairs to make the hot chocolate. Penelope emerged from the bathroom a minute later with a box of the makeup remover wipes. She sat down and handed them to her mom. Emma gently rubbed her face.

 

“You don’t need this much makeup,” Emma said, softly. “You’re such a pretty girl, you don’t need any really. This much just covers up what you were blessed with.”

Penelope sniffled. “All the other guys’ girlfriends do it like this.”

“Then they must not be as pretty as you, huh?” Her daughter didn’t say anything. “Will’s a moron. He’s not going to get another girl like you, though to be fair, he didn’t deserve you in the first place.”

“You’re my mama,” the teen replied, softly. “You have to say that.”

“No, I don’t. I know guys like Will. They’ll go on an endless string of girls, because they’ll never find one as good enough as the one they let slip away.”

Penelope sighed. “Whatever you say.”

“You know there are two guys that think you are the most awesome girl in the whole world.”

“Henry and Roland don’t count. They’re my brothers. And please can we not tell them about this?”

 

Emma had a feeling that Regina had already texted both of their sons. She wouldn’t be surprised if Roland drove up from school just to punch the guy out. Henry wasn’t typically a violent person, but she suspected that if Will ever made his way into the bookstore/café her eldest owned and operated…a certain “special ingredient” would be added to the coffee. Though, he’d kick him out before his bathroom fell victim to it. But, that was not the time to bring any of that up, so the sheriff just finished up with the makeup removal.

 

“There, finally done.” Emma threw them into the waste basket and gave her a small smile. “Let’s go, I’m sure your hot chocolate’s finished.” Penelope sighed, following her mom down the stairs. Regina handed over the mug and the teen slowly sipped it. Her moms watched her, feeling terrible. Her first heartbreak. She’d get over it, with time.

 

The next morning, they let her sleep in as late as she wanted. While they were preparing her favorite breakfast, the front door opened and shut. Henry and Roland were in the kitchen not long after.

 

“Where is she?” Henry asked.

“Sleeping,” Emma replied. “We watched a movie last night, but she really just wanted to go to bed.”

“Poor thing. Well, we’re here to take her out for a fun day to make her forget Will.”

Regina smiled, kissing each of her sons on the cheek. “Aren’t you two sweet? Roland, I can’t believe you drove 3 hours just to see her.” The 22-year-old shrugged.

“I’m not saying it’s not a good plan,” Emma said as she flipped the French toast over in the pan. “But Storybrooke’s a small town, are you sure you won’t run into Will.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Roland said. “Something tells me old Billy boy won’t be walking so well today.” His moms gave him a suspicious glance. “And I doubt he’s going to report anything that happened to him within the last 2 hours to the cops, considering well, Mama, you are one.”

Henry just held up his hands as if he didn’t know what was going on. “I have no clue what he’s on about. He crashed at my place last night and he was gone early this morning.”

 

Emma and Regina bit their lips to hide their smiles. No way could they encourage Roland’s behavior, but that didn’t mean he had to get lectured over it either.

 

Penelope walked down the stairs, still in her pajamas, a little surprised to see her big brothers. “What are you two doing here?”

“Do we need a reason to see our favorite baby sister?” Henry asked, kissing her head.

“I’m your only baby sister.”

“That’s why you’re an easy favorite.”

 

Emma began putting the food onto the plates. No, this wasn’t going to be an easy time, but her daughter would get through it. She had her whole family behind her.


	29. Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penelope is 16 here. I’m going to try to include everything that everyone wanted, but as I said, it was a lot, so if I missed out on something, feel free to submit a prompt. I will say this now, I like, for the most part, Penelope being single and just kinda dating around, so I don’t really want to go too far into her having a significant other. Especially since I want to keep this as Swan-Mills family centric as possible.

Regina could tell something was wrong with her daughter. She seemed rather withdrawn. Her grades weren’t dropping and as far as she could tell, she was still doing quite well on the school paper (she had articles coming out with each issue). But at home, she spent a lot of time up in her room and didn’t seem to be going out with her friends as much. The biggest tip off was that she wasn’t eating much. Penelope was always hungry, it was just a rule of nature. So, after a week of her daughter barely touching her food, the mayor knew she had to say something. Emma was working the night shift at the station, so it was just the two of them.

 

Regina knocked on the door and got a soft “come in”. Penelope was curled up on her bed, staring at the wall. “Hey, Princess.”

Penelope’s voice came out soft, quiet. “Hi.”

Regina sat beside her and stroked her blonde curls. “What’s going on, baby? I’m getting worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“I know that’s not true. What’s going on with my baby?”

“Not a baby,” Penelope mumbled.

“My baby. Please, just tell me.”

Penelope sighed, sitting up, drawing her knees close to her chest. “I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just…” Penelope starting chewing on her hair, without even realizing it. An old habit from when she was little, one her moms had thought she outgrew. “Well, you know Will and I broke up a while ago.”

Regina didn’t have to be reminded. That loser that had hurt her baby so badly. “Yes.”

“Well, after that I didn’t really like anyone.”

“That makes sense, a first heartbreak can be really hard to move on from.”

“But then there’s this new person at school…I think I like them.”

“That’s great. You shouldn’t let your heart hurt over that loser forever. What’s his name?”

“Melody.”

 

Regina nodded slowly, it was all starting to make sense now.

 

“I think I’ve met her parents, they’re new donors for the park and rec committee.”

“I just don’t get it. I thought I liked boys, I never felt anything for girls. And then I saw her and it just…it makes sense. I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”

“Hey,” Regina put a hand on her arm. “There’s nothing wrong with you, if you like boys and girls.”

“I know there’s nothing wrong with being gay or bi. But I’m not! I’ve never liked girls before this, it’s just really, really confusing. Whenever I get around Melody, I feel like I did with Will in the beginning, all nervous and stuff. And she’s always flirting with me and I…I like it. I didn’t think I liked girls, so I don’t get why I do now!”

 

Regina rubbed small circles on her daughter’s back, trying to get her to calm down. Penelope drew back a deep breath, trying to do the same herself.

 

“I was like you,” Regina said, softly. “I always liked boys, I never thought that I could be attracted to a girl. Then I met one, similar to you. She was new and I was really confused. We kissed a little and I thought I might be bi. I told my father and he was very supportive. But then, I met Daniel and we dated. So, I thought that maybe I was straight after all. After he died, I didn’t want to date anyone, male or female. Until I found more girls that I wanted to date, though there were also guys. I didn’t understand what was going on with me either until I fully came to terms with it. I was bisexual and there was nothing wrong with it.”

“But Mama says she always knew that she liked girls.”

“That’s your mama. Sometimes, people just know. It’s clear and there’s no confusion surrounding it. Other times, it takes more time. Now, just because you think a girl is pretty, it doesn’t mean you’re a lesbian or bisexual. But, if you think that you view one in the same way that you would a boy…well I can’t label you for you.”

“Why not?  You tell me what to do about everything else,” Penelope whined.

Regina laughed, pulling her daughter close to her side. “Oh baby,” she stroked her hair. “Matters of the heart are not something that mommies get to decide.”

Penelope sighed. “So, it’s not weird that I didn’t figure it out until now?”

“Some don’t figure it out until they’re much older,” Regina assured her.

“But it’s a part of me. Shouldn’t I just know that? I know what I like and don’t like with everything else.”

“This is a little more complicated than loving writing articles or disliking peas. And the thing is, love shouldn’t be easy. It’s not supposed to be. I know that’s not what you want to hear right now, but it’s the truth.”

“So…do you think I should go after Melody?”

“I think you should do what your heart tells you.”

Penelope nodded, wrapping her arms around her mom’s torso. “Thanks, Mommy.”

“Anytime, sweet girl.”

“I’m really, really hungry.”

“I’m sure, you’ve barely eaten anything in a week. Come on, let’s go get some stuff in you, I don’t want you wasting away.”

 

After Penelope inhaled an insane amount of food, she curled up on the couch with her mom to watch some T.V. She eventually fell asleep, her head on Regina’s lap, just like she used to when she was little. Emma walked in not long after that and smiled.

 

“Well, looks like someone’s doing better,” she said, kissing her wife.

“We had a long talk. She’s just been going through a confusing time,” Regina replied, softly.

Emma cocked an eyebrow. “Define confusing.”

“Our baby girl had her first crush on a girl. And from what she told me when I actually got her to eat, she’s asking her out tomorrow.”

The sheriff sat down on the other side of her daughter, putting her feet on her lap. “I’m glad she opened up to you.”

“She still likes boys, though. I’m not sure if she’s ready to label herself, though.”

“That’s fine. All that matters is that she knows that we love her and that it’s completely normal to go through all of this.”

“She does.” Regina gave her wife a soft smile.

“What she also needs to know is…you owe me $20.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “When she wakes up to go upstairs, I’ll get my wallet.”

“I knew she took Woman Crush Wednesday seriously.”

“You don’t need to brag, you know.”

“You choose to make these bets with me, need I remind you?”

“I always win the ones involving Roland.”

“To be fair, he’s a lot easier to read than Penelope.”


	30. Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had a few people ask for another one shot showing Emma and Regina’s life before having kids. Possible trigger: infertility is a theme in this.

Emma knew that her wife wanted children, she could see it in her eyes every time there was a diaper commercial, every time they passed a family. It didn’t help that Regina was the mayor and had to oversee many family projects. Before Regina, Emma had never thought she wanted a family. Kids just weren’t her thing. Then she met her wife and envisioned a future with at least one child. They could be a pretty spectacular family.

 

Unfortanately, sometimes those who want a child the most, find it the hardest.

 

Regina had revealed to her when they were dating that she found out young that she would not be able to get pregnant. She was completely honest that seeing Emma pregnant would be hard for her and if the blonde was being truthful herself, she wasn’t sure if pregnancy was for her. That left them with very few options, one of them being adoption. That just seemed like such a risk. Regina had heard the horror stories, you grow attached to the baby and then the parents change their mind. Of course they had every right to do so, but it didn’t make it any easier on the perspective couple.

 

They were stuck in limbo, unsure of what they wanted to do. They had been married for a little bit and knew there was no rush. They were young and healthy, they could wait. Emma didn’t mind doing so, she wasn’t sure that they even needed kids. Regina didn’t realize that she felt that way. It wasn’t a conversation they had and she was afraid to ask. If they couldn’t become parents, would her wife leave her?

 

Things came to a head when their friend Mary Margaret gave birth. Regina always struggled with visiting new mothers after they had just had their babies, so they held it off as long as they could. Their friends had no clue that they were struggling, it was something private between them. They knew it wasn’t fair to keep putting it off, so a few days after the new mother had arrived home, they stopped by the house, a gift in hand.

 

“Do you want some tea?” Mary Margaret asked, going to get up.

“Mary Margaret, you just had a baby,” Emma told her. “You should relax.”

“I don’t get much time for that. He keeps us up all night,” the woman lightly laughed.  “Then he sleeps during the day.”

A cry rang out through the monitor and David stood up.  “I’ve got him, babe.” With that, he disappeared upstairs and returned a moment later, the swaddled babe in his arms. “Regina, Emma, this is Neal Leopold.”

“Leopold, huh?” Emma asked.

Mary Margaret smiled. “It was my father’s name.”

“She wanted it to be his first name, but I thought he may get his ass kicked,” David teased, bouncing his son. “So, we compromised on a middle name.” Baby Neal stopped crying not long after. “Would either of you like to hold him?”

“Sure,” Emma said. Regina said nothing, she just smiled politely, as she always did. David walked over, lowering the baby into her arms. Emma smiled down at the tiny thing. “He’s adorable, the perfect mix of the two of you.” The exhausted new parents beamed under the praise.

 

Regina looked over at her wife, watching her with the baby. The faces she was making, the way she cooed at him. So natural, so loving. And he wasn’t even their child. What if they never had that? What if all she could offer her wife, was herself?

 

“Do you two ever talk about kids?” David asked. Mary Margaret shot him a look. Emma and Regina were close friends, but even she knew that it could be a potential sensitive subject. “What?”

“It’s fine,” Regina said, softly.

“We talk about it, but ya know, it’s a little harder for a couple like us,” Emma added, trying to keep her voice joking. “Little more than just getting off the pill for a few weeks.”

“I think you two would be great mothers,” Mary Margaret said.

“Thank you. Hopefully one day, we will be.”

 

Regina drew back a deep breath. When Emma offered to let her hold the baby, she politely declined, claiming she had a little cough and didn’t want to pass anything down. Emma took the hint and said they should let the new parents get some rest while they could, leading her out. She didn’t miss that her wife was quiet for the rest of the evening. It was even more than usual than after they would see a baby. Before she could say anything, she got a call from Mary Margaret.

 

“I hope David didn’t start anything,” the schoolteacher said, her voice filled with worry. “I saw how sad Regina looked after he said that.”

“It’s fine,” Emma replied. “You have a new baby, don’t stress about us.”

“Is everything okay with you two?”

Emma sighed. It was hard having no one to talk to about it. “Neither of us is going to get pregnant and we’re both wary about adoption, so we’re unsure if motherhood is in our cards.”

“Emma, I am so sorry.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“Do you want children?”

“I do, but it’ll work itself out. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

“Now I wish we hadn’t invited you over. I can’t imagine…”

“Really Mary Margaret, it’s fine. Sometimes it’s just harder on us than we like to admit, but I loved meeting Neal. Please don’t treat either of us any different. We’re the same people as we were before.”

 

After hanging up, she couldn’t find Regina anywhere. She checked every part of the house and then realized that her car was missing. Emma tried calling her, but came up short. Panicking, she started pacing, wondering where she possibly could’ve gone. It wasn’t like her to just take off like that, that was more Emma’s tactic. Two hours later, Regina finally made it through the door.

 

“Where the hell have you been?!?” Emma demanded. “You didn’t tell me you were leaving, you don’t answer your phone!”

“You sound like a mother,” Regina mumbled.

“No, I sound like a pissed off wife. Why would you do that to me?”

“I just needed to think.”

“And scare me to death in the process?”

“Am I going to be enough?”

 

Emma paused, staring at her wife for a minute.

  
“What?”

“If we don’t have kids,” Regina continued, quietly. “If we don’t adopt, if it just doesn’t happen, if all we ever have is each other, am I going to be enough?”

 

Emma bit her lip, feeling absolutely terrible. Regina didn’t get vulnerable often, but when she did, it was scary. She hated seeing her wife so distraught and stressed. The woman had lost enough people to last a lifetime. Her mother wasn’t in her life, she had lost her first true love to the war and then her father to cancer. The sheriff was all she had left, outside her career. And being the mayor wasn’t going to keep her company at night.

 

The sheriff stepped closer putting her arms around the mayor’s waist. “I would spend the rest of my years with you, no matter what. Kids, no kids, a million cats or no pets at all. I don’t need anything but you.”

“Really? Because I’m sure you could go find…”

“Where would I go, Regina?”

“There are millions of other women out there, billions actually.”

“Are any of them you? Because honestly, all I need is you.”

Regina looked up at her, her chocolate brown eyes clearly watery. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. I didn’t marry you on the condition of us starting a family. I married you so we could spend forever together. If we add a kid to the mix, awesome. If we don’t, that’s fine too.”

“So, you won’t regret ever having a child?”

“I’d regret losing you.”

 

Regina drew back a deep breath, feeling a little silly for walking out due to the phone conversation she had overheard. Emma didn’t think it was silly at all, though. She understood why she was so upset. She couldn’t blame her. Regina could probably live her whole life without becoming a mother, but she couldn’t lose another person she loved. And she wouldn’t.

 

“I love you,” Emma told her. “Sickness and health, richer or poorer, ‘til one of us dies…and then the other has to, because I don’t think either of us would last 5 seconds without the other.”

Regina laughed in spite of her tears. “Only you would find a way to make this into a joke.”

“I just like making you smile. It’s the eighth wonder of the world.”

The mayor rolled her eyes. “Alright, cheeseball.”

“You love me, though.”

“Yes, I do.” Regina kissed her. “For the record, all I need is you too.”

“I already knew that,” Emma gave her a warm smile.

“I just…I think we need to take a break from thinking about all of it. Just enjoy each other.”

“I couldn’t agree more. When the time comes, the time will come.”

“Exactly.”

“Now, what do you say we go enjoy each other right now?”

Regina smirked. “I can’t think of a better way to spend tonight.”

 

And in just a little over a year they would get their miracle. Sometimes, life gives you just what you wanted, when you weren’t even expecting it.


	31. Take What's Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this idea from a post quotableswanqueen put up on Tumblr-though I did edit who Regina told the story to for the sake of this verse. (Also if you ship SQ and are on Tumblr, follow the blog, it’s hilarious and cute.) This is from before they got married but after they moved in together. It’s short, but I didn’t want to make it too angsty.

Regina sat in Mary Margaret and David’s living room, sipping her wine. She and Emma had come for their usual bi-weekly dinner. They didn’t always get to have it, but the couple had been so nice to the sheriff when she first blew through town, they had all become such good friends.

  
“So,” David said as he poured out a glass of wine for Emma. “Anything happen this week?”

Emma exchanged a glance with her girlfriend who simply smirked. “We got into a fight and I told Emma to take what’s hers and leave the house.”

“Oh my God,” Mary Margaret looked over at her best friend before turning her attention back to Regina. “What did she do?”

 

The couple began to laugh as they reflected on it.

 

**A Few Days Prior**

 

Regina knew where she and Emma were headed, it seemed almost inevitable. Marriage was a big step, a huge one. And when Regina got to big steps, typically she would run. Sure, they were living together but that wasn’t permanent. Emma’s name wasn’t on the deed, she didn’t pay rent. No real damage would be done if she left...outside what it’d do to the mayor’s heart. Regina’s parents had divorced when she was a teenager. She didn’t want a divorce, she just wanted to be happy. She just wasn’t sure if that was in the cards for her. So, Regina did what she typically did when she got spooked.

 

She tried to ruin it.

 

Over and over again, she had asked Emma to just put her clothes in the hamper. She felt like the woman’s mother, but it was just a little thing that bugged her. The FBI agent turned sheriff had been living on her own ever since she graduated from college, she was still adjusting to having another person’s opinion on the state of her living quarters. She got better about dishes and all that, but she figured a few dirty clothes on the floor wasn’t going to kill anyone.

 

Until one day, she came home to find all the dirty laundry she had left discarded by the closet, on the lawn. Raising an eyebrow, she walked into the house where Regina stood, clearly have pounced the minute she heard that dingy yellow bug pull into the driveway.

 

“Uh, babe? Why are my clothes out on the lawn?” Emma asked.

“I have told you a million times, put your laundry in the damn hamper. I don’t appreciate tripping over your Kansas t-shirt on my way to get my clean clothes, and yes I do have them because I actually do my laundry.”

Emma couldn’t help it, she laughed. Her girlfriend sounded absolutely ridiculous with how upset she was by all of it. “I’m sorry, but maybe if you didn’t insist on wearing those high heels in the house…”

“This is not about me, Miss Swan,” Regina interrupted harshly. Emma knew her girlfriend really wasn’t happy. She was only ever “Miss Swan” two times: if they were arguing or if they were about to do something dirty. She had a sneaking suspicion it was not the latter. “It is about you and your filthy habits.”

“I can’t help it, I have a smoking hot girlfriend.” The sarcasm was hard to reign in for the blonde.

Regina’s brows furrowed in frustration and it took all she had not to stomp her foot like a petulant child. “I can’t keep doing this! You’re just...you’re messy and you bite your nails and you...you snore!”

Emma gave her a confused look. “I snore?”   
“Yes!”   
“We’ve been living together for about 3 months and you’re only just bringing it up?”

“It’s annoying. You know what, maybe you should just leave.”

“Regina!” Emma could not believe she was acting like this over a freaking t-shirt.

“Take what’s yours and leave.”

 

The sheriff studied the mayor for a moment. She knew this was a test. Regina had been left enough times in her life, she had suffered through a lot of pain. Now the two of them were going somewhere, probably marriage and it was scary. Hell, it scared Emma. She just handled her fear differently.

 

The woman sized her girlfriend up for a minute. She had been in the FBI for awhile. She was trained to take down large perps and even carry people away from danger if necessary. She could handle her girlfriend.

 

Without another word, Emma walked over to Regina, lifted her up bridal style and walked out of the house. Regina squawked, squirming in her arms.

  
“EMMA RUTH SWAN!” She exclaimed. “What in Heaven’s name are you doing?!?”

“You said to take what was mine and leave. I’m doing just that.”

 

Emma smirked and Regina let out an only slightly irritated sigh. Of course the sheriff had caught onto what that was really all about. The woman was too smart for her own good. She also knew, that no matter what she did, Emma wasn’t going any place.

 

“Put me down,” Regina told her, calming down a little.

“I can’t. I’m currently homeless, which means wherever I go, you go. And I’m standing in the middle of the muddy grass. I know how much you hate to get your shoes dirty.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “You’re invited to live with me again. Just take me inside, you oversized woman child.”

Emma giggled. “As you wish, your majesty.” She kissed her girlfriend's lips before carrying her inside.

 

**In The Present**

Both Mary Margaret and David were laughing right along with them. “That’s one way of handling it,” David told the blonde.

“Well, as the sheriff of this town, I very well just can’t leave things abandoned. I have to take very good care of what’s mine.” She winked at Regina and linked an arm through hers. Regina just smiled, kissing her cheek.


	32. Our Emma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was sent in by dance_of_pales, she wanted to see a fic where Regina meets an ex of Emma’s and gets jealous, but then it takes another turn. By the way guys: Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday and right now I just have one prompt sent in for this verse and it’s more Henry and Roland centric, so if you guys want one more centered around Swan Queen themselves, let me know before the actual holiday! Anyway, onto the fic. Set back when Henry was just a baby, so Roland and Penelope did not exist yet.

Regina wasn’t sure why she had agreed to the dinner in the first place. She didn’t have a problem with meeting people from her wife’s past, since Emma wasn’t from Storybrooke it didn’t happen too often. But this wasn’t just a person, this was an ex. The only serious girlfriend the blonde had before she met Regina. The breakup had been mutual, it was back when Emma was about to enter training for the FBI and they both had known that she was going to have no time to invest in a relationship. Regina knew her wife was happy with her, but sometimes she still managed to get a little jealous.

 

“Are you okay, Regina?” Ashley asked. The mayor glanced over at her nanny. She was leaving for the evening, though she had offered to work late so they wouldn’t have to worry about Henry during the dinner. The couple had politely declined, Henry was pretty much sleeping through the night. And even if he didn’t, Regina didn’t care. Maybe it’d scare this Elsa off and send her running for the hills.

“I’m fine, just had a long day.”

“Alright.” Ashley gave her a small smile and threw her bag over her shoulder. “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be on my way.”

“See you Monday,” she replied, watching her leave. Truth be told, Regina wished that she would suddenly come down with the flu or something. Yet she had not so much as a period cramp.

Emma came down the stairs and for a moment, Regina forgot all about her apprehension with the dinner. Her wife looked stunning: she was wearing a black dress that accented her figure perfectly. Her hair was loose and she was wearing the lightest makeup possible. “Well?”

“I think I may have to remind Elsa that you’re married a few times,” the mayor replied with a small smirk.

Emma laughed, knowing that behind the sarcasm, her wife was a little nervous. She didn’t blame her, she’d feel the same if she met an ex of hers. “You have zero to worry about.”

“Uh huh…where’s Henry?”

“I just put him down, he seemed very tired.”

“Ashley said they had a busy day at the park.”

Emma moved closer and wrapped her arms around her wife’s waist, smiling at her. “Thank you for cooking. I know it’s the last thing you wanted to do after working, but I didn’t really feel like going out.”

“It’s fine. It’s good to be home in case Henry needs us anyway.”

 

Just as Regina was setting the table, Emma heard the doorbell ring. She answered it, a smile going across her face.

 

“Elsa.”

“Emma!” Before she could blink, the sheriff had a pair of arms being thrown around her neck. She laughed and hugged her tighter. “It’s been too long.”

“I know. Come in, come in.” Emma lead her inside.

“Wow, this house is certainly an upgrade from our old apartment,” Elsa teased, looking around it.

Emma laughed. “I know, it was almost a little unreal when I started living here.”

 

She lead her into the kitchen where Regia was just finishing up. The mayor looked up inspected to the second blonde standing in her kitchen. She was in a pale blue blouse and white pants, blue eyes sparkling as she smiled. Elsa was also sizing up her ex’s wife, black pantsuit and shorter dark hair. Instantly, she felt a little intimidated by her vibe, so she smiled wider and stepped forward, extending her hand.

 

“Hi, I’m Elsa.”

“Regina Mills,” a formal reply came. “Nice to meet you.”

“You as well. Emma has told me so much about you, your son as well. Where is he?”

“We just put him down for the night.”

“Oh.” Elsa sounded a tad disappointment. “Maybe the next time I’m in town, then.”

“Maybe. I made lasagna, I hope you’ll like it.”

“Are you kidding me? I love cheese.”

“So, you have that in common with Emma, I suppose,” Regina muttered as they sat down.

Elsa laughed. “Yes, I swear, if it weren’t for our parents sending us care packages, we never would’ve eaten healthy. I was always so jealous of how quickly Emma seemed to burn it off.”

“That is an annoying thing about her,” Regina found herself agreeing. “We agreed to both go on a diet a year ago and she got to her goal before I even could.”

Emma shrugged. “Just in my blood, I guess.” She didn’t know if that was true, she had been adopted, but it always seemed like the best thing to say in these situations.

 

Regina uncorked the wine and poured it out for all of them, while Elsa started to talk about what she had been up to.

 

“I have my own ice cream shop,” she explained. “In Connecticut.”

“What brings you up to Maine?” Regina asked.

“My sister and her husband moved up her recently, tomorrow I’ll be heading up to visit them. But I just knew I had to see Em first.” The mayor resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  “So, Emma says that you’re the mayor?”

“I am, unopposed for a few terms now,” Regina said, her voice firm, though Emma could tell there was some bragging there. She rolled her eyes as she sipped her wine.

“That has to be a very busy life, my father was governor when I was growing up.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “Your father was in politics?”

“Yes. Actually, his last term was when I was dating Emma. She had to go to a couple of balls.”

“I can only imagine how that went,” Regina teased.

“Hey, I wear dresses,” Emma gestured to the one she was wearing.

“Yes darling, but ones proper for balls, you put up a fuss.”

“I thought she was going to have a coronary when she saw the ones my mother selected us to wear,” Elsa said with a laugh. “She seemed so uncomfortable the entire night. Then as soon as we got back to our place, she ripped it off, nearly ruining the dress.”

Regina let out a louder laugh than she meant to. “She did the same at our first mayor’s ball.”

Emma shook her head, rolling her eyes. “It is not a crime to hate stuffy, itchy dresses.”

“Of course not,” Regina replied with a smirk. “It just makes for a good story.”

“You don’t let her cook for you, do you?” Elsa asked, her voice only half-serious. “She nearly burned down our kitchen.”

“Emma has been banned from cooking since our great anniversary disaster a couple years ago,” Regina replied with a grin.

 

The two spent the rest of dinner exchanging stories about Emma. The sheriff tried to be annoyed by it, but she really was happy that Regina had gotten more comfortable around Elsa. She never regretted ending things with the other woman and she was over the moon happy with Regina, so it was good to see that they could all get along, as friends.

 

At one point, Henry woke up and Emma went up to get him. When he didn’t calm down right away, she came down with him to fix a bottle. Elsa grinned down at their little squish.

 

“He’s so adorable,” she squealed. “I just want to eat him up.”

Regina chuckled. “It’s tempting.”

 

The two watched as Emma fixed the bottle and then retrieved the baby back from the other blonde, feeding him the bottle. Elsa and Regina watched on, the latter noticing a certain look on the former’s face.

 

“What is it?”

“Nothing, I just never saw Emma as the nurturing, mothering type. She’s always been a bit…prickly.”

Regina smiled a little. “I never had any doubt. She’s been there for me more than anyone else ever has. She’s an amazing mother.”

Elsa glanced over at her, giving her a smile. “I’m glad she found you.”

Regina nodded, smiling back before turning her glance to her wife and son. “I’m glad too.”


	33. When All Else Fails

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was submitted by luci465: Emma and Regina’s first Valentine’s Day together, where everything Regina tries to plan, goes horribly wrong. So, obviously, this is another before they had kids. Gets a little steamy at a point, fair warning. I feel like I suck at smut, so sorry if it’s disappointing, haha. I'll be honest, it's only rated M because of that one part and I'm not even sure if it counts, I just want to cover my ass.

Regina had it all perfectly mapped out, it was her first Valentine’s Day with Emma. Typically, neither were the big, gushy romantic type, but she wanted it to be special. She had Sidney manage her schedule just so, so that way she wouldn’t have any meetings or paperwork after 5 and since Emma was working the morning shift, she’d be home in time as well. The game plan was to go to one of the fanciest restaurants in Portland followed by a private cake sampling at a nearby bakery (she had arranged it so all of them were chocolate-Emma’s favorite) and to top the night off, they’d be staying in the couple’s suite at a beautiful hotel. The city wasn’t too far from Storybrooke, but she figured it’d be something nice. All of it was one big surprise, all Emma thought they were doing was going to dinner.

 

When the weather reports called for snow, at first Regina didn’t think much of it. She had been born and raised in Maine, Emma was from Boston, it didn’t bother either of them. Then, when the two woke up that morning, it was coming down pretty hard.

 

“I bet the schools will have an early release,” Emma guessed as they stood by the sink, brushing their teeth.

“I’m sure it’ll clear up by then,” Regina replied once she had spit.

“Either way, I wouldn’t be surprised if we can’t leave Storybrooke tonight.”

“Don’t say that!” Regina chastised her quickly. The blonde raised her eyebrow. She had a feeling they were going out of Storybrooke but she didn’t mean it as a bad thing. While yes, their town didn’t have very many fancy eateries and most of them would be booked due to the holiday, Emma was very low maintenance. A burger and fries at Granny’s would be just fine for her.

“Chill Gina, it’s not the end of the world.”

“We’re having a romantic evening whether you like it or not,” Regina grumbled in such a tone that it came across as a threat. Emma laughed, putting her toothbrush back in the holder.

“Oh, I’m so scared,” she replied in mock fear, pecking her girlfriend’s lips. “I love you, I’ll see you tonight.”

 

Regina sighed, she knew she had freaked out a little too much, the night just meant a lot to her and she didn’t want anything to screw it up.

 

That soon proved to be a fruitless wish.

 

First, the restaurant called. Due to the extreme weather conditions, they weren’t going to open that night.

 

“What? But I have reservations…”

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I cannot have my staff working when the roads are like this. Our mayor is predicting that the roads are going to be very slippery. I’d advise for you to not even be out tonight.”

 

Every restaurant she called was singing the same tune. Even the nicer ones in Storybrooke were closing down for the day. The bakery was also refunding her deposit on the private tasting, giving their apologies, but they weren’t going to risk it. When Regina realized herself that she would have to put out a state of emergency for the town, she knew she had to call the hotel and cancel the reservation. Luckily, due to the extreme conditions, they were more than willing to reschedule for another time, she wasn’t the only one to be doing so.

 

Regina’s hope was slowly draining. It seemed to be like their chances for the perfect romantic holiday was slipping through her fingertips. She then thought, maybe they could do something at home. When she got to the grocery store, it was a madhouse, tons of people out there trying to store up for the impending storm. Regina knew they were good in terms of snacks and non-perishables in case they lost power, but she still wanted a romantic dinner.

 

Even that didn’t seem meant to be. Everything was pretty much cleared out. The only thing she could find that both of them would enjoy was a frozen pizza. Regina let out a long sigh, she knew Emma would love it, but it wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. She grabbed whatever toppings she could find to make it more interesting and headed home, barely making it with all of the ice.

 

“You can salvage this,” Regina mumbled to herself as she pre-heated the oven and decorated the pizza. She found a nice bottle of wine and grabbed some glasses. “It’s not a steak dinner for two, but it’ll have to do.”

 

It was getting later and Emma still wasn’t home. Regina was about to call her to see if she was on her way, when her own cell rang. By the tone of Emma’s voice, she knew something had to be wrong.

 

“Babe, I have some bad news.”

“Are you okay?” That was the first thing to come to Regina’s mind.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that the roads are so terrible, Graham can’t even get here to take over his shift. Even if he could, my bug won’t start in this weather, no one should be on the roads anyway.”

Regina could feel her stomach sinking. “Emma…”

“I’m just going to crash in one of the cells for the night, I don’t want you going out on the roads, follow your own state of emergency. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

 

Regina wanted to scream, say no, it wasn’t okay. She wasn’t mad at Emma, she understood why she couldn’t come home, but it just didn’t seem fair. Nothing was going the way it was supposed to, but she had figured at least they could be together. Now, even that wasn’t happening. So much for a good Valentine’s Day.

 

“I…I guess I understand,” Regina replied, keeping her voice as even as possible.

“We’ll find a way to make up for this. Just stay warm.”

“Going to be hard to do without my big spoon.”

Emma’s laugh came flooding through the receiver. “I know, but try. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

The mayor hung up the phone, a pout falling upon her lips. She slowly turned around to face everything in front of her, the warm pie, the wine and glasses, all waiting to be served. She had spent way too many of these holidays alone. There was no way she was going to start now.

 

She went upstairs and packed some pajamas and a change of clothes for the two of them, along with extra blankets. The pizza got wrapped up in foil, the wine and glasses carefully tucked away for safety, along with cutlery and plates. Regina bundled herself up and made it out to the car. The sky was completely dark, with the flurry of snowflakes falling down around her. Already, no grass could be seen below, there would definitely be no school the next morning.

 

She got in her car and drove as slowly as she possibly could on the icy roads. Several times, she almost skidded off of it, but she regained her focus each time. She wasn’t going to kill herself that night, she was on a mission. Anyone else would’ve called her crazy and she couldn’t exactly argue. She was stubborn. When Regina wanted something, she got it. Even as something as little as a Valentine’s Day evening.

 

Snow was going to learn a thing from Regina Mills.

 

Finally, she made it to the station. She gathered everything up and walked back out. The sidewalks were covered, as was Emma’s little bug, one would barely be able to tell it was yellow. Fishing her keys from her pocket, Regina opened the door and walked inside, instantly glad for the warmth.

 

“Who is it?” Emma’s startled voice came from her office and soon, she emerged, looking even more surprised. “Regina?”

“I promised to give you a romantic Valentine’s Day,” she told her, still slightly shivering from the cold. She could feel the wet snow in her hair, it had even seeped through her boots.

“By giving yourself hypothermia?!? And possibly killing yourself on the way over? Regina, you’re insane!” Emma exclaimed.

Regina just shrugged. “I brought food.”

“And that’s supposed to make it okay? I could’ve lost you tonight.”

“But you didn’t. I’m right here, I’m fine, if not freezing.”

 

Emma shook her head and soon, she was laughing. Only Regina would do that. No one told her what to do, not even snow.

 

“Just come here,” Emma lead her further inside and into her office where she had been playing hangman on her phone. She had her remove her wet jacket, hat, socks and boots, draping them on the heater attached to the wall. She pulled her personal space heater closer to the desk and had Regina sit down. Emma dug through the bags her girlfriend had brought and draped a rather large quilt around her, putting the spare socks on her feet. That’s when she found the lukewarm pizza and wine.

 

“You brought me pizza?” Emma’s lips turned upwards to a grin.

“The original plan was steak,” Regina replied with a shiver, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

“This is better than steak.”

 

Emma sliced the pie up and gave them each some, pouring out a little wine. She moved the other chair next to Regina and held up her glass.

 

“To Valentine’s Day with my crazy girlfriend that I couldn’t love any more than I already do.”

Regina smiled. “Back atchya.”

 

The two glasses clinked against one another and they sipped it, eating their food as they chatted about their days. When the pizza was gone and the wine has half-finished, Regina pulled Emma’s chair closer and wrapped the blanket further around her. Emma snuggled up next to her, wrapping her arms around her torso, resting her head on her shoulder.

 

“I’d say that the other part of our night is probably a no-go since I’m still regaining the feeling in my toes,” Regina said with a small laugh. “But I do love you, Emma Swan.”

“I love you too, Regina Mills.” Emma kissed her and searched through the bag beside her, finding a particular bottle. After preparing her hand with lube, she managed to let one of them slip down Regina’s pants and made her fingers move inside of her girlfriend. Regina straightened up at that.

“Your hands are warm,” she mumbled.

“Oh… are they?” Emma asked.

Regina let out a small moan as Emma dug her finger further up her. “Ahhh…”

 

A very Happy Valentine’s Day indeed.


	34. Their Handsome Valentines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this original request was from the always awesome: oncer4life11. She wanted to see one where Roland and Henry insist on being Regina and Emma's valentines, with someone helping them make special gifts for them. I'm combining it with Silver Water 7 who suggested a Lady and the Tramp style thing that the kids set up. Roland is 3 and Henry is 7. This one is just lots of teeth rotting fluff.

Henry had learned about Valentine’s Day in pre-school a few years prior and loved the holiday. A whole day where you get to tell people how much you love them? What could be better than that. He always made his moms valentines and for as long as he could remember, they typically stayed home with them. But, that particular year around the holiday, he and Roland got to watching Lady and the Tramp along with a few Valentine’s Day themed episodes of their favorite T.V shows, they realized that their moms didn’t have valentines. Or at least, it didn’t appear that way. (Emma and Regina tended to exchange “presents” after the kiddos went to bed.) They decided right then and there that they had to be their valentines.

 

“I wanna be Mama’s!” Roland insisted.

“That’s fine, I’ll be Mommy’s,” Henry agreed. He didn’t really care who was who’s, it didn’t matter. Just as long as their moms had dates that Valentine’s Day, like Mickey and Minnie did! “We need help though.”

“We can ask them.”

“No, silly. It has to be a surprise...” The older brother thought for a minute. “I know! Ashley can help us!” Ashley was the boy’s nanny, she picked them both up from school and watched them in the afternoons. Normally, she wasn’t one to just plop them in front of the T.V, but Regina and Emma had asked her to do some housework (and they knew that the boys would end up watching the boob tube as a result, they didn’t mind. It was one day.).

 

The boys jumped up and ran into the kitchen where she was, shouting “Ashley! Ashley!” over and over again. She looked up, laughing a little.

 

“Hey boys, what’s going on?”

“We want to be Mommy and Mama’s valentines,” Henry explained, being as serious as a 7-year-old could. “We want to give them presents and make them dinner.”

“Pasketti, like Lady and the Tramp,” Roland added, nodding excitedly.

Ashley smiled, touched. The boys could be trouble makers, but they could also be sweet when they wanted to be. “Okay, we can do that. Valentine’s Day not for a few days anyway. Let’s get planning!”

 

Over the next few days, Emma and Regina noticed the boys were being very secretive. They were whispering a lot and actually getting along at almost all times. They were scared to almost question it, but it definitely wasn’t their boys. Ashley was no help, she just smiled and told them that all was fine. Though, they noticed every night that she was stuffing something into her bag and she seemed to be coming over with more arts and crafts stuff, when they already had a crap ton.

 

Their questions were answered that Thursday. For once, they both came home from work at the same time and headed inside together. Roland and Henry ran to greet them, as usual, but this time, something was different. They were both actually dressed up, wearing the clothes they argued with Regina about having to wear to a function around Christmas.

 

“What’s going on?” Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.  “Did you two break the law? Am I going to have to arrest you?”

Roland giggled. “No, Mama! We’re your valentimes.”

Henry nudged him. “ _Valentines_ , not valentimes.”

“Oh. Valentines,” the toddler corrected himself, repeating the word a few times to familiarize himself with it.

 

Smiles spread across the mothers’ faces. Suddenly, the secrecy all made sense. They had the sweetest little boys on earth.

 

“I’m Mommy’s,” Henry explained. “And Rolo is Mama’s.” He held his hand out to Regina who happily accepted it while Roland grabbed hold of Emma’s. They lead them into the kitchen where Ashley was just finishing putting the spaghetti and meatballs on the table. In a vase in the middle of the table were paper flowers that they had all made together, the walls also contained hearts cut out from different colored construction paper.

“Wow, you guys went all out,” Regina said, in almost disbelief. Had they really arranged all of this?

“Well, I better get going,” Ashley said with a smile of her own. “Thomas and I have plans of our own.”

“Thanks for all your help,” Emma replied, only half-heartedly listening as she looked around the room.

“It was no problem. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

The nanny gave each of the boys a big hug before leaving. The family sat around the table while the mothers admired everything. They had even poured out grape juice, most likely because Emma and Regina had taught them that their wine was special grown up grape juice.

 

“Did you make all of this?” Emma asked.

Henry nodded. “Uh huh. Ashley helped some, especially with the flowers.”

“Those were hard,” Roland added, seriously, nodding a little.

Emma laughed, ruffling his hair.  “Well you did an amazing job.”

“Yeah, this is the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

“What made you pick spaghetti?”

“Lady and the Tramp! They shared a noodle and they kissed. You should do that with Mommy!” Henry was suddenly very excited. Roland nodded in agreement.

 

Emma and Regina laughed, but Emma picked up a noodle, putting one end in her mouth while Regina did it in the other. It proved to be a little harder than it seemed in the movies, as both ends sucking on it made it drop a few times. Finally, they met in the middle, kissing. The boys found the whole thing hysterical.

 

They ate the dinner while the boys talked about their day, asking their moms about theirs too. When they were done, Henry cleared the table without being asked and Roland ran out of the room, returning a moment later. He gave one bag to Henry, who presented it to Regina and Roland gave his to Emma. The mothers opened it and found little boxes of chocolate inside. They had cartoon characters on the front, Emma had SpongeBob while Regina got Paw Patrol. They also each received a Valentine’s Day card that matched their specific cartoon.

 

“Boys, this is so sweet,” Emma said. She knelt down to Roland’s height, hugging him tightly.

Regina hugged Henry as well, just as tight. “Thank you Squish, this has been an amazing day. We love you.”

“We love you too!” Roland and Henry replied in almost unison.

 

They ended the night curled up on the couch together, eating popcorn and their new candy, while they watched A Charlie Brown Valentine. Both Roland and Henry were asleep by the end of it, curled up with their respective “valentine”. Regina and Emma just smiled down at them.

 

“They are going to make some people very lucky husbands one day,” Emma murmured as she stroked Roland’s curls.

“Yeah, but they did it for us first, so we’re the special ones,” Regina replied with a wink. Emma laughed and kissed her.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mommy.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mama.”


	35. Valentine's Day Weekend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sassyswan and Silver Water 7 wanted to see Swan Queen go on their first getaway from the kids in a while when they were still fairly young, though sassyswan added a twist to it. Henry is 10, Roland is 6 and Penelope is just a baby. I’ve said this before, but in this verse, MM and David aren’t Emma’s parents.

“Okay, so we’re just going to be gone until tomorrow,” Regina explained to David, as she adjusted Penelope in her arms.

“We know.”

“Are you sure this is how you want to spend your Valentine’s Day, I mean you still have Neal…”

“We love watching the kids,” Mary Margaret interrupted. “It’s been so long since we had a baby in the house, I can’t wait to take care of Penelope!”

 

Regina sighed, looking down at her daughter. It would be her first time leaving her overnight and she wasn’t sure if she was ready. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Mary Margaret and David, she did. They were great with the kids, Neal and Henry were best friends, just as Mary Margaret and Emma. Roland loved following the boys around and making cookies with Mary Margaret. Penelope even seemed to take a shine to them both. Still, it was an overnight trip and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. Emma had been the one to suggest it, it had been years since they had been able to get away and it was healthy for their relationship. Plus, it was Valentine’s Day weekend…

 

“Everything’s fine,” Emma interrupted her thoughts as she made her way next to her wife, a duffel bag swung over each of her shoulders. “You guys have our numbers, we left plenty of food, you should be all set. Boys! Mama and Mom are leaving!”

 

Henry and Roland ran in from the living room where David had already set up a movie for them to watch. They gave each of their moms a hug. Both were so used to their moms working and such, that they no longer got upset when they left. Regina was happy they wouldn’t be sad, but a part of her was hoping for Roland to have a sudden meltdown, asking for her to stay. Instead, he just gave her a quick squeeze.

  
“Bye Mommy! See you tomorrow!”

“Bye,” Regina replied, a hint of sadness to her voice. “I love you.” She turned to Henry, squeezing him. “And I love you, Squish.”

“Mo-om,” Henry mumbled, knowing that Neal was in the doorway of the living room. Regina let out another sigh and let him go hug Emma.

“Be good for Mary Margaret and David,” the blonde reminded them. “Listen, they’re not afraid to tell us you were being bad.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you still here?”

Emma just rolled her eyes and took the baby from Regina. “And you little miss, I’m going to miss you too.” She kissed Penelope’s head as she giggled. “But you’ll be good, won’t you? Yes, I’m sure you will, my ladybug.”

 

Regina then saw it, the look in Emma’s eyes. She was having second thoughts, though she wasn’t about to admit it. The mayor gave her daughter a kiss and watched her wife pass her off to Mary Margaret, forcing a smile.

 

“See you guys tomorrow!” Taking Regina’s hand, she quickly walked out the door with her, before she could change her mind.

 

The drive to their mountainside cabin was only about 45 minutes. It was pretty secluded, but stocked with food and just the right amount of furniture. Emma set down the duffle bags, looking around the place.

 

“This is pretty cool,” she commented. Her eyes floated out the window. “Oh, sleds. The boys would love that.”

Regina smiled. “They would. And Henry would be in love with that fire place, he’d insist on s’mores.”

“Totally.” Emma opened the fridge and noticed that there were strawberries. Penelope was just getting on solid foods and those so happened to be her favorites. She bit down on her lip. She had just returned to work after some maternity leave for the little one and while she loved her job and was happy to have a break from the fussy baby, she missed her during those shifts. She wasn’t sure how she was going to go an entire night away from her...plus, she was 6 months old! What if she started to crawl while they were gone? And Roland had been having nightmares lately, after accidentally watching a scary movie on Regina’s tablet. Henry was getting older, there were only so many more Valentine’s Days they could spend as a family…

“Are you thinking what I am?” Regina asked.

“We go back and get our babies?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“You really don’t mind? I know this was supposed to be a romantic getaway with just the two of us and I’m the one that planned it, but…I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

Regina grinned, moving closer to cup Emma’s cheek. “That’s alright. I’m not either.”

 

Emma went to warm up the car while Regina called Mary Margaret to fill her in. She and David didn’t mind, they understood where they were coming from completely. On the way back, she got a text saying the boys were down for it. As soon as they walked back in the door, Emma took Penelope from Mary Margaret, kissing the little one’s head.

 

“Oh, I missed you,” she whispered.

“It’s literally been like 2 hours,” Henry teased.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Let’s just go, did you two pack your overnight bags?”

“Yup!” Roland replied, holding up his. “And I helped Mary Margaret pack Penelope’s.”

 

After thanking Mary Margaret and David and saying goodbye, they headed back up to the cabin. Emma took the boys sledding while Regina watched from the porch with the baby. Once they consumed the healthy dinner Regina made them have, they roasted marshmallows by the fire. By the end of The Bee Movie, Roland and Henry had passed out on the couch beside one another, while Penelope slept peacefully in Emma’s arms. Regina gently draped a quilt over the two of them.

 

“Not exactly the Valentine’s Day we had in mind,” she whispered.

Emma glanced down at the baby in her arms and then over at her other two by her wife. “Nah, better.”

“Next year, we’ll do something just us.”

“Next year?” Emma raised an eyebrow.

Regina laughed. “You’re right…maybe when our ladybug goes off to college.”


	36. Joined At The Hip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MegxRubia wanted to see more of Regina and Emma’s courting. I know you said to include jealous Regina, however, I have included her being jealous a few times already in this verse so I wanted to switch it up and make it Emma instead. I hope that’s alright. Also bringing back Mal for grdana, who always asks to see more of her. So, as the prompt states, this is before they adopted the kids.

Emma let out a long sigh, glad that they seemed to be getting closer to wrapping up the case. It was just a matter of timing. Before doing more strategizing with the team, she was going to head over to Granny’s and get some coffee for everyone. Walking inside, she saw Mrs. Lucas…or Granny as she insisted on being called. Emma found it a little strange, especially considering that she barely knew the woman. But if she was being honest, she was a little afraid of her. Yes, Granny was on the older side, but she could probably kick Emma’s butt from Storybrooke all the way back to D.C.

 

“Hi Emma,” Granny gave her a smile from behind the counter. “Still working on that case?”

“Yup,” Emma returned her smile. “Actually, getting some more coffee, it is insane how much we go through.” She handed over the list. “Some donuts on there too.”

“I’ll have it done in a jiffy, just made a fresh pot.”

 

As she scurried away, Emma turned around to take in the diner. She had never been in a town as small as Storybrooke before. She was getting to know everyone so well and most of them were pretty friendly. As she glanced around the diner, she spotted Regina. This caused Emma’s smile to widen. The past few weeks, dating Regina had been a whirlwind of emotions. She was trying to be cautious, in her line of work, it was never a good idea to get too emotionally involved with someone. However, Regina was different. Emma felt herself wanting something real with this woman. It still didn’t mean that she felt adequate enough to be with her.

 

Emma never had problems finding dates. Even after coming out in high school, she would bounce from girl to girl, relationships weren’t her thing. In college, she did have one serious girlfriend but that was it. It wasn’t due to lack of trying though. Many women seemed to be turned off by her. It wasn’t that she had offensive ideals or anything. But she was loud, she didn’t share her emotions very well. Public displays of affection weren’t really her thing and she’d much rather watch a scary movie with beer. Dressing up was something she would forever dread and she wore as little makeup as possible, her favorite clothing choice was plaid. She had always been a Tom Boy, even before she realized her sexuality. The bullying within the community had been something to shock her. She had received it in high school from her straight peers, but to hear it from those she was more connected to, really hurt. It didn’t happen with every single woman she dated, even so, it made her feel self-conscious. The last woman before Regina had told her that she was never going to get someone with how she acted.

 

Regina wasn’t overly girly, but she definitely wasn’t at Emma’s level. She didn’t mind getting dressed up, that was half her job. She hated most beer, wine was her drink of choice. Cheesy rom coms were her guilty pleasure (not that anyone would ever believe that the ruthless woman cried over Sleepless in Seattle). Anyone would be lucky to be with her. Dating a politician was a scary thing, she never knew if she was doing it right. She constantly worried that the people of the town would think poorly of her and then as a result think negatively in terms of Regina. Normally, Emma never cared about what strangers thought of her, but it didn’t just affect her anymore.

 

Before she could walk over and greet her, another blonde approached the table. She was dressed similarly to Regina, except her pantsuit was grey. At first, Emma just thought that she was just a donor or someone from the offices. Though, she did think it was a bit strange that Regina would choose to bring her to the diner, typically she chose the fancy Italian place for meals like that. The blonde said something that made Regina laugh in return and squeeze her hand. Emma’s eyebrow arched. She was definitely not watching a work-related exchange.

 

“Here’s you order,” Granny’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Emma didn’t turn around to face her, which caused the diner owner to look where she was. “Oh, Mal’s back.”

“Mal?” Emma repeated.

“She and Regina were quite connected at the hip once upon a time. They would always come in here, munch on fries and what not. Though, I haven’t seen Regina eat a fry in years…”

 

Emma wasn’t even listening to her anymore. Regina had never mentioned a Mal before, let alone one that she had been so close to.

 

_Quit it, Swan. You aren’t the jealous type._

Except she was. In front of Regina was a woman who appeared to be just like her, one she had some connection with. How was Emma ever supposed to compete with that? She grabbed hold of the tray, tucking the bag of pastries under her arm, giving a quick thanks to Granny’s before storming out. Regina craned her neck from the sudden slam of the door, but all she caught was a fury of blonde curls.

 

Over the next few days, Regina couldn’t get in touch with Emma. At first, she assumed that it was because she had to handle the case, but then it became increasingly clear that she was being ignored. She headed to the only bar the town had, The Rabbit Hole, one night after work. It wasn’t a place she went to very often since being elected, it wasn’t exactly a good look. However, it had been a stressful couple of days. The plan was to have one drink and leave before anyone spotted her.

 

That was until she saw Emma in the back with Mary Margaret Nolan and Ruby Lucas. She had become friends with them since the team had taken on the case in Storybrooke. Even so, it made no sense to Regina. She didn’t want to become possessive, after all they had only been dating for a few weeks, and yet, she couldn’t shake the weird feeling. Emma couldn’t be bothered to make plans with her but could with them? Did she not like her anymore? Regina worried she had done something terribly wrong.

 

Confusion turned to annoyance. Opening up to Emma like she had been, wasn’t easy. She wasn’t someone that could just be ditched with no explanation. If the FBI agent was over her, she needed to say it. With that in mind, Regina stormed over to the booth.

 

“Emma.”

Emma looked up, seeing Regina’s annoyed expression. She had been purposefully screening all attempts at communication. Every time her phone buzzed, she was terrified it was going to be Regina wanting to make plans so they could break up. “Regina. Hi.”

Ruby and Mary Margaret noticed the look in their friend’s eye. They had noticed she had been off all night, but she didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Neither were overly close with the mayor and the situation was becoming awkward. “Would you like to join us?” Mary Margaret offered, politely.

“No, thank you,” Regina replied, briskly. “Emma, can we please talk?”

“I’m a little busy,” Emma was looking anywhere but her by that point, taking a sip of her beer. She instantly kicked herself for not ordering something “girlier”. It was not going to help her case.

“Emma.” Regina wasn’t going to make a scene, but it was getting ridiculous. She didn’t even care about being humiliated in front of the other women, she just wanted to know what the hell was going on.

 

Emma sighed, she supposed she was being a little petulant. After all, Regina did look genuinely confused. Maybe she didn’t really want to break up…maybe it was all her in head…

 

“Gina!” Mal suddenly appeared by her side, smiling. “I was not expecting to see you here. Why don’t we get a table, I can order us a pitcher of margaritas.” She noticed the group that Regina was staring at. “Mary Margaret, Ruby.” She gave a polite nod.

“You’re both welcome to join us,” Mary Margaret repeated her original offer. She and Mal had never really been friends, but she wanted to get to know both of them for Emma’s sake.

“Sure,” Mal said, though her eyes glanced over to Emma. Her smile widened. “And you must be Emma. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Any of Emma’s hope drained. So, not only was Regina dumping her for Mal, they had talked about her? “You know what, I hope you two are really happy together.”

Bewilderment came over Mal’s face. “Excuse me?”

“I have to go.” Emma threw some singles down to pay for her beer and grabbed purse, walking straight for the door.

 

The women left behind looked confused, all clearly thinking the same thing:  _What had that been about?_

“I’ll go after her,” Ruby offered, going to stand.

“No, no, let me,” Regina said. She walked out the door and found Emma heading for her car. “Emma.” No response. “Emma, come talk to me!” Still nothing, by now Emma was fishing out her keys. “Miss Swan!”

Emma whipped around. “What? Haven’t I been humiliated enough for one night?”

“I don’t understand what that’s even supposed to mean.” Regina bridged the gap between them and tried to touch her arm, only to have it yanked away. “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? I’m sorry that I don’t take being cheated on well.”

“Cheated on?” Regina nearly choked with laughter. “I’m not cheating on you.”

“Right.” Emma rolled her eyes. “We’ve only been dating a few weeks, aren’t even really official, so I suppose you’re right. It’s not cheating. You’re free to do whatever the fuck you want.”

“Hey. I’m not dating anyone else! It’s been you, only you, since that first night.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t need to be lied to. I get it, Mal is much more your speed…”

“Wait.” Regina held up her hand. “You think I’m with Mal?”

“Granny told me that the two of you were once very close, spent lots of time in her diner. That’s code for dating.” Regina began to laugh again, though this time she couldn’t hold it back. She knew from the expression on Emma’s face that it was the wrong thing to do, she just couldn’t help it. “Great. As I said, I’ve been humiliated enough for one night, so…” She went to open her door yet again, only to have Regina take hold of her again and kiss her. Emma pushed her away. “What the hell?”

“Emma, Mal and I aren’t dating. We never did.”

Emma’s brows knitted. “But…”

“We were best friends, we’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. She’s bi as well, yes, but she’s also engaged, to a woman named Ursula.”

Emma’s expression shifted, she was slowly starting to feel stupid. “Best friends?”

“Yes. When I came out, she was my anchor. I was the same for her when she came out a year later.”

“Did you two ever…”

“No, never. We’re far too alike to ever be attracted to each other,” Regina laughed a little. “I know I didn’t mention her, I’m sorry. I was actually trying to call you so you could meet, properly. She rarely makes it back to town anymore.”

 

Guilt filled the pit of Emma’s stomach. Mal was just a friend, an important friend to Regina. And she had thought they were having an affair. Oh, she had been so rude to Mal…

 

“Alright, I’m out of here,” Emma mumbled. “I really have made a fool out of myself tonight.”

“Emma.”

“I’m sorry, Regina,” Emma said, biting down on her lip. “I just…I saw the two of you and I thought…”

“I get it, people thought we were dating back then too. But why didn’t you just talk to me about it?”

“I thought you were breaking up with me, that you didn’t want me anymore. I guess I was just trying to stop myself from getting hurt.”

Regina shook her head, putting a hand on her cheek. “How could someone not want you?”

“I’m not even close to being your type…”

“You’re different than other people I’ve dated, but that’s a good thing. I like you, I haven’t felt like this in a really long time,” Regina admitted, feeling a little weird sharing that. “I want this to work.”

Emma partially smiled. “I want it to work too. Can you forgive me for overreacting?”

“Of course. I should’ve explained Mal to you awhile ago, anyway.”

 

Regina kissed Emma again and this time, she didn’t pull away. The two stood there, kissing under the glow of the flickering streetlight. Feeling the mayor’s lips upon her own felt right to Emma, she had missed them, so much. And as that oh so familiar tongue caressed her own, she vowed she would never go so long without kissing Regina again.

 

Eventually the two pulled apart for air and Emma let out a content sigh. “I guess I should go back in there and apologize to Mal.”

Regina chuckled. “I’m sure she’s fine. She just really wants to get to know you.”

“I suck at first impressions.”

“Yeah, you kinda do,” Regina remarked, remembering how they met. Emma rolled her eyes and playfully smacked her arm. “Alright, I’ll go get her and bring her out here. Tell Mary Margaret and Ruby we’re all going out for dinner. If you’re up for it.”

“I’m always up for food,” Emma replied with a smirk. Regina laughed and gave her another kiss before returning to the club. She emerged with Mal about 10 minutes later. “Mal, I am so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Mal assured her. “I understand, I may have made the same assumption myself.”

“I promise I’m not really that crazy jealous of my girlfriend’s friends...”

“You just didn’t know I was one. Now you do, so if you ever get snarky with me again, prepare for me to dish it back,” Mal gave her a smirk, which Emma returned.

“Oh, I like you already.”

Regina laughed. “Granny’s?”

“Sounds like a perfect place to get to know my best friend’s new girl.”

 

Mal looked between the two and noticed they were both blushing a bit. Regina had shared she wasn’t sure if she and Emma would work out, considering once the job was over she’d have to return to D.C. However, Mal had a good feeling about them. They were both stubborn, too stubborn to let the best thing that ever happened to them get away.


	37. Goody Bags

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was requested by Ticiatigr on Tumblr: Penelope has been dating Melody for a while which leads to Emma and Regina giving her another version of "the talk". I've had some other requests for this as well.

Regina pulled her car into the driveway after another long day. She could practically hear the bottle of wine calling her name from the kitchen, she definitely deserved it. Getting out of the car, she headed up the porch and paused for a moment. There was Penelope cuddled up with her girlfriend on the porch swing, kissing. Well, no, they were doing a bit more than just kissing, Penelope's hand was working her way up Melody's top. Regina let out a small cough and the two teens pulled apart.

"Hi Mom," Penelope said, a smile on her face. Regina had to hold back a laugh. Had that been Roland or Henry ar that age, they would've been so embarrassed but her daughter didn't care. She really liked Melody and nothing was going to change that.

"Hey sweetheart. Melody, are you staying for dinner?"

"I can't, but thank you, Ms. Mills," Melody replied, politely. Regina debated telling her that she was now wearing Penelope's lip gloss, however she chose to let it slide.

"Alright...just keep it PG outside, right?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow, though her tone of voice didn't make it sound like an option.

"Yes Mother." Penelope was clearly beginning to care that her mother was standing right there.

"Very well." Regina gave them each one last smile before heading inside. Emma's voice drifted from the kitchen.

"Penny? Is that you?"

"Well I'm not blonde with a brunette attached to my lips, so I'd say not," Regina called back.

Emma emerged from the kitchen, a smirk on her face. "They're quite something, aren't they?"

"I'm happy that she's happy. Ever since she came out, it's like she had this weight lifted off her." She threw her purse up and pecked Emma's lips. "Though, I do think it's time we give her the talk."

"We already gave her the talk. Don't you remember? It ended with her telling us that she was running away to join a convent."

Regina laughed. "Yes, but that was more about her and a boy. While some of it will transfer over, like only doing it with someone you care about and being safe, there's other stuff."

"I guess you're right," Emma's brows furrowed. "I really hadn't thought about that."

"I know that she gets the mechanics by now…I stumbled across her browsing history…"

"Do I even want to know?"

"You didn't with Henry, I don't think you do now."

Emma groaned. "Our kids are weird."

"Look at their mothers," Regina pointed out. "Anyway, even outside the mechanics, there's still other things that need to be said."

"I agree, I just don't think she's going to particularly enjoy it."

"She's 16, it's our job to completely embarrass her."

Emma shook her head, a laugh escaping her lips. "That it is." She paused for a moment. "You do realize this is the last one of these talks we'll probably need to have, don't you?"

Regina thought about it. "I guess you're right. God, that's weird. I almost feel like calling Roland and asking if he'd like a refresher."

"Do and I'll time how fast it takes for him to hang up on you."

They waited to give the talk for the following afternoon. Penelope found it weird that both of her moms' cars were taking up the garage when she came home, normally at least one of them would've been at work. She headed inside and could smell that hot chocolate had been made. Instantly, she wanted to bolt right back out the door. Her mothers didn't just make her hot chocolate just because anymore, not unless she asked for it. They only did it when she was mad at them or they needed to talk about something. They hadn't done anything to piss her off lately, so the talk had to be about something that would. She turned to grab the door knob to leave when she heard Emma's voice.

"We're in the living room, Pen."

Slowly, the teen made her way into the other room, studying the two. They were smiling, but not their  _You're going to hate us in 5 seconds_  smiles. Sure enough, on the table there were three mugs that had whipped cream on top along with some cinnamon.

"Take a seat," Regina said.

"Are you two getting a divorce?" Penelope asked as she lowered herself down onto the loveseat. "Because if you are…I choose to live with Henry."

"No, we're not…Henry?"

"He's the most normal person in this whole family."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, now that we know where you stand, your mother and I still love each other. You're stuck with us."

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"No. We know that you and Melody have been dating for a while now and we're really happy that you've found her. Ever since you came out, it's like we've seen more of the old you again."

Penelope nodded, understanding where they were coming from. During her time of not really understanding what was going on, she had sort of gone off the deep end. She was glad to not be like that anymore. "Yeah, it's nice," she admitted with a small smile.

"We also aren't naïve," Emma continued. "We understand that while yes, 16 is very young and we'd prefer for you to wait…you might not do so."

"Oh…" Penelope realized where the conversation was going. "Moms, we already talked about this. Like a long time ago."

"I know, but that was before you were dating a girl," Regina tried to explain.

Blush spread to the teenager's cheeks. "Jesus…do we really have to do this…I already know how it works…"

"That may be, but just like with a guy, there's more to sex than just the physical part."

"I really have a lot of homework so…" Penelope went to stand but she saw the looks on Emma and Regina's faces. "Alright, alright." She lowered herself down onto the couch. "What else did you want to say?"

"Well, just because there's no chance of pregnancy, doesn't mean that safe sex isn't important," Regina said, glad that getting her to listen hadn't been as big of a struggle as they thought. "There are still a multitude of STDs that could be passed around, so it's important to know your partner's sexual history and to get tested yourself often."

"Before your mother and I were serious, I would go every 6 months," Emma added.

"Melody and I haven't been with anyone, period. So, that's not an issue. We haven't even done anything…" Penelope said, it was half a lie. They had neared 3rd base the other night until Melody hit her head on the steering wheel and the mood was ruined. She wasn't about to admit that tidbit to her mothers, however.

"Even so, you may do something eventually," Emma replied. "If toys are involved, they need to be cleaned as well…"

"Oh my God, toys?" Penelope's face scrunched up.

"Yes, toys." Emma nearly laughed at how freaked out she looked by that prospect. She had once felt the same way. "There are ways of sanitizing them…"

"And of course, there is lubricant." Regina held up a bag. "We've put some things in here." She passed it to Penelope, who was about 75 shades of red by that point.

"A goody bag for the sex talk," Penelope mumbled, peeking inside at the different bottles and pamphlets they had included. "How thoughtful." That got both of her mothers to chuckle.

"Overall, there are some other things that stick from the first talk. We would prefer if you weren't having sex right now," Regina said. "However, we understand that it can happen. Just know that you are in complete control of your body and you never have to do anything you don't want to. Even if you do it once, twice, doesn't matter. You always have the right to say no."

"What you do with your body is your choice and you aren't a tease if you don't give it up," Emma continued. "Just know that sex, between any two people, can lead to a lot of emotions. Sharing that part of yourself with someone is a big deal, even if some may not think that it is. It matters and you matter." She gave her a soft smile. Penelope was no longer blushing, instead, she bit down on her lip.

"There's nothing you can't tell us," Regina spoke up next. "We're always here for you. Questions, concerns, we've experienced a lot and even though no two experiences are the same, we still have knowledge. We won't judge."

Emma nodded. "We love you and we just want you to be happy and safe."

Penelope nodded, smiling a little herself. "I love you guys too. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Emma replied.

Penelope got up and walked over to their couch, giving them each a hug. They took their time with it, neither mother wanting to let go. The first time they had the talk, it was hard, but they also knew that her time to do all of that was so far off. It wasn't anymore. Where had the time gone?

"I think I'll take my hot cocoa and goody bag up to my room…review those pamphlets," Penelope said, smirking a bit. She grabbed her mug and headed up the stairs. Her moms could be embarrassing and most of that talk, she wished she didn't have to sit through, but for the most part she was grateful.

How many teenagers could say that their mothers had been kind enough to buy them lube, anyway?


	38. Wash Away My Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was submitted by oncer4life11. Takes place a little while after they brought Henry home.

It had been just a few short weeks since Emma had shown up with a baby in her arms. Regina had thought it would be hard for her to bond with the little one, but to her surprise, it was easy. She loved him more than life itself, he made everything in their lives better. Sure, he was loud and he wasn’t sleeping through the night. Both were so exhausted and hadn’t had a moment’s peace since that infamous Christmas Eve. Even so, sometimes it felt like they were running on a high. This was something neither of them were sure could ever happen.

 

To make things a little easier, they took shifts getting up with him. They both seemed to wake up when he did, but normally the one who got to sleep would just kick the other and they’d grumble, going next door to the nursery. Regina had been able to kick her wife awake a while ago and drifted back to sleep. However, something woke her up about an hour later. It wasn’t any noise, it was the lack of it. Typically, she would at least in her sleep feel Emma climb back into the bed, but it hadn’t happened. Slowly sitting up, she turned on the bedside lamp and looked around the room. Empty. Her eyes went to the baby monitor and she could see Emma was standing by Henry’s basinet. Instantly, she panicked. Was something wrong?

 

Quickly hopping out of bed, she threw on her robe and headed next door. To her surprise, Henry was still fast asleep in his basinet. Emma still stood there, watching him closely. Regina didn’t think much of it at first. She would be lying if she hadn’t lingered after a feeding. When he actually did sleep he looked so peaceful. He was all theirs and nothing could change that. They had worried about the birth mother coming back and trying to take him away, but they were assured that she couldn’t. The adoption wasn’t final quite yet, but her rights had been terminated. Plus, she had been desperate enough to abandon him at a sheriff’s station, her situation most likely hadn’t changed overnight.

 

“Emma,” Regina whispered.

 

The blonde didn’t move, her eyes just stayed on the baby. Regina moved closer and placed a hand on her back, but still didn’t get a reaction. A little worried, she looked at her wife’s face and that’s when she saw it. Emma had been crying.

 

“Hey,” Regina moved her face to look at her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Emma mumbled, wiping away the few tears that hadn’t dried up.

“It’s not nothing. What’s got you so upset?” It was rare she witnessed Emma crying, she was typically the one who had to console Regina. Something had to be wrong.

“It’s not that I’m upset, it’s just…” Emma sighed, moving away from Regina a little bit. “I never pictured myself here. Growing up, I never thought I’d get married, much less have a baby.” She saw the worry deepen on her wife’s face and she held up a hand. “I don’t mean it like that. I’m happy that things turned out this way. I…I’ve never been so happy, actually. I never I Even after we got married, we weren’t sure if kids were a possibility. I never thought I’d actually be a mom and that was okay. But now we have Squish and I can’t imagine my life without him. Outside you, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Regina smiled. “You’re right, he is, for both of us. But if you’re happy…why the tears?”

“At first I thought I was just really tired then maybe it was from happiness…but then I got this feeling. I was sitting right over there,” she gestured to the rocking chair in the corner. “Henry was in my arms, drinking his bottle. He was looking up at me, those big green eyes. He’s so tiny, so innocent. I’ve only known him a few weeks and I already love him so much…”

“But?” Regina didn’t like to interrupt, but Emma had the tendency to ramble. It was one of her weaknesses.

“What if love isn’t enough? What if I can’t do this, Regina?” Emma glanced back down into the basinet. “I was never the little girl to play with baby dolls, never offered to really babysit anyone’s kid unless it was an absolute emergency. I’m just not…I’m not sure if I can do this. I love him, I love him so much. I can’t screw him up, though. He deserves his best chance. That’s what I thought the minute Graham showed him to me.” She bit her lip as she examined Regina’s face. “I know you can do this. You were made for it. But…what if I’m not?”

 

Emma was crying again, though she was desperately trying to calm herself down. Regina placed a hand on each of her arms, rubbing them up and down in a soothing motion. She didn’t say anything, she just did that, waiting for the tears to stop. Luckily, none of this was waking the baby. She just watched Emma let herself break down and she knew while some was probably from the exhaustion, the other part was out of legitimate fear. Regina was scared, too. She didn’t have the best mother growing up, Emma had though. Even so, it didn’t matter what one’s experience was growing up. Having a child to call their own was terrifying. They were responsible for teaching him everything and they only had such a small window.

 

Finally, Emma calmed down, though she didn’t pull out of Regina’s grasp. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“We’re all entitled to a little meltdown once in a while,” Regina assured her. “Yours is just long over do.”

“See, this is why you’re a good mom. You’re going to know what to say when he’s upset.”

“And you’re going to be the one to teach him how to ride a bike and play video games,” Regina pointed out. “You’re going to be the one he goes to first because he knows you’ll probably freak out less.”

“Regina…”

“I’m okay with that, really. You’re going to be the one who he makes messes with, the one that’ll team up with him for movie nights. The one that sneaks him the cookie when he’s in timeout. Of course, I’ll want to kill you for all of this…” Regina smiled as Emma began to laugh. “But you’re going to be a great mom. You’ll also be the one to help me lay down the law. You’ll probably be the one who reminds me not to be too hard on him.”

“You think so?” Emma asked, biting her lip.

“Emma, you’re the one who brought him home to us. Without you, we wouldn’t have our little family. You wouldn’t have done that if you weren’t already a good mom,” Regina pointed out.  “You had just met him and you couldn’t fathom him going into the system. That proves how much you love that little baby and why you’re an amazing mother.”

Emma blew out a deep breath, causing some of her curls to go out of her face. “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am.” Regina kissed her lips and the two let them linger for a bit. “But, if you wake him up before his next feeding, that’ll probably go on your permanent record.”

Emma rolled her eyes, while also laughing quietly. “I suppose I owe you a turn, waking you up and all.”

“Oh, you do,” Regina smiled. “But not tonight. You deserve some sleep, Mama.”

Emma smiled and put an arm around Regina’s waist. “Thank you, Mommy.”

 

Before they left, the pair gave the baby one last glance. The next 18 years weren’t going to be easy at all, but they would have each other to get through it.


	39. Never Grow Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panda People wanted to see Penelope’s first day of school, complete with the mamas getting emotional, so here you go! =)

Emma wasn’t sure what was going on when she entered the kitchen and found her wife tearing up as she put some food into a lunchbox. Regina hadn’t had to pack a lunch in quite a few years. Both Roland and Henry bought their lunch, which she didn’t enjoy but they insisted that it was just easier than bringing a bag. Since Penelope had only been to part time pre-school, she hadn’t needed one either, but today was a special day. It was her first day of kindergarten. Even so, she didn’t understand why that was something to cry over.

 

“Regina?” Emma asked, gently.

Regina looked up, swatting her tears away. “I’m almost done. Is Penelope up yet?”

“No, I was just about to get her…what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Gina.”

Regina sighed.  “I was doing fine, I didn’t think I still got emotional over these milestones.”

Emma suddenly understood. She looped her arm through Regina’s and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Honey, it’s you, who you are.”

Regina rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “So, you’re not at all sad? She’s our last baby.”

 

The sheriff let out a long sigh. Of course she was sad. It seemed like only just yesterday they had received the call that Penelope was going to be placed with them. They didn’t have anything, but they rushed there. She’ll never forget the squeal of excitement that left Regina’s lips when she realized that she was blonde, which she still was 5 years later. Every other milestone had been bittersweet. They didn’t get the same ones with Roland since he joined their family at age 2, so their only other experience had been Henry. Penelope was their youngest and nostalgia wasn’t going to make them have another child, but it was still hard. Emma would never admit it, but she had teared up when they packed up the last of the baby clothes to send over to Anna and Kristoff as they welcomed their youngest.

 

Penelope was very independent, she was more than ready for kindergarten. She was already reading and writing some letters (she could even write her name). But, after raising two boys, they knew that it was the beginning of the end so to speak. Henry was in high school and driving, Roland was in his second year of junior high. Yes, no more diapers was great but they would give anything to just be able to sit in the quiet dark and rock a little baby again.

 

“It’s bittersweet,” Emma admitted, finally. “But at the same time, you can’t change how fast time goes.”

Regina nodded, a small sigh escaping her lips. “I know you’re right. It’s just hard.”

“She’s going to be okay, you know,” Emma pointed out, knowing that was also part of it. Henry had a hard time adjusting to kindergarten, not so much the academics, but some of the parents had taught their kids some nasty stuff. They had accepted the unfortunate reality that their kids may hear things about their mothers, they just expressed that those people were wrong. There was nothing wrong with it. Roland had a bit of an easier time adjusting and by now, most people were just used to it. Emma knew Penelope would be okay, too.

“I actually think that she’d kick butt if anyone said anything,” Regina began to laugh. “I don’t want to actually condone violence but considering that she can beat Roland…no one better mess with her.”

Emma smiled. “Well she is our daughter.”

 

Regina let go of the lunchbox and turned fully to her wife. Some days she was worried about what would happen when all the kids flew the nest, even though that was so far off. At the end of the day, she knew they would be fine. They were in love and they took care of things. It wasn’t easy, not by a long shot. However, they were going to be okay too.

 

“I better go get her up,” Emma said. “The boys are nearly ready themselves, Henry agreed to give Roland a ride.”

“Agreed or you reminded him the rules of him getting a car?”

“Do you have no faith in our teenager?” Emma mocked and Regina just shook her head. Their little squish was turning out to be a very confusing teenager.

 

Emma headed up to Penelope’s room and found that she was waking up already herself. She smiled.

 

“Hey Ladybug,” she said. “You excited for today?”

Penelope yawned, rubbing her eyes a bit. “Uh huh.” She was not much of a morning person, but her mama knew she’d get there.

 

Emma showed her the outfit they had agreed upon, after weeks of Regina consulting their school shopping haul: a red jumper dress with Winnie the Pooh on the pockets and a white t-shirt underneath. By the time they got downstairs, breakfast was ready and that definitely improved the little girl’s mood.

 

“Are you excited for school?” Roland asked as they sat around the table eating their waffles.

“Yeah! I get to bring my new backpack,” Penelope replied, excitedly. She pointed to the corner where her brand-new ladybug backpack was. Her princess one from the year before was fine, but Emma saw it and couldn’t help it. After all, Penelope was her ladybug.

“You’ll get to read some new books,” Henry pointed out. He and his sister shared a great love of books. “I loved library days.”

“The school has a library?” Penelope’s eyes widened in shock and joy while her brothers laughed. “My old school didn’t.”

“Elementary school is a little different,” Regina explained.

Penelope was quiet for a few minutes. “What if I get lost?”

“You won’t,” Henry assured her.

“But when Roland went to kindergarten you were there.” The little girl pouted. “I don’t have anyone.”

“Hey, that’s not true, kid,” Roland put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re going to make lots of friends. Plus, I think you’ll like not having us there the whole time.”

“Yeah, we’d probably just follow you around the whole time and tease you,” Henry joked with a smile, which got Penelope laughing.

 

Regina and Emma exchanged a loving look across the table. They hadn’t even thought about the fact that she was going to be alone. Having a 6 and 10-year age gap from her brothers could be a pain at times. However, they knew she’d be okay.

 

“Plus, Mama and I are going to walk you in,” Regina said. “We’ll bring you right to your classroom. You won’t have to wonder around alone.”

 

That seemed to convince Penelope enough and the rest of breakfast went by with no issues. Henry and Roland had to go or they would be late, but before they did, Regina insisted on taking a picture, as she did at the start of every school year. The brothers gave their baby sister one last hug and kiss goodbye before heading out the door. As Emma watched them drive off, Regina studied the picture she had just taken.

 

Henry was tall, almost as tall as her, he would get there within months. Roland was already almost as tall as him, too. Both had grown up so much. Long gone was the baby fat they once had (Squish wasn’t so squishy anymore). Henry’s voice had dropped and his younger brother’s was beginning to crack. They were both so handsome, Roland growing out of his awkward phase. Both had dark brown hair, the older one’s eyes were a dark shade of green while the 12-year-old’s were about as dark as his hair.

 

Then there was Penelope. All three of them had different biological parents, so of course they would look differently, but her looks definitely varied. She had pale blonde curls and baby blue eyes. Strangers often thought that Emma had given birth to her, that was how similar they looked. She had recently lost her first tooth, so there was a gap in her big smile.

 

Her kids drove her crazy, there was no doubt about that. Henry would most likely come home from school in a mood over his piles of homework and Roland would already be putting off a major project for months until the last minute. Penelope would probably not be in her best form with no nap. But at the end of it all, she’d still have that picture.

 

Emma and Regina left to take Penelope not long after the boys left. The elementary school parking lot was a zoo, most parents drove on the first day. Even with their positions in the town, they weren’t guaranteed a good parking spot. After walking for what seemed like forever, they finally made it inside. The teacher showed Penelope where to hang her backpack and from there, it was hinted that they should probably get going. Before they could even blink, Penelope was giving her mama and mom a quick hug and running off. Both exchanged a look of shock, both Roland and Henry had gotten a little emotional over their first day. Regina didn’t miss the tears that clouded Emma’s eyes. Of course, they didn’t want her to be upset, but it was another step to independence. Just a sign that they were doing the right thing.

 

They kept themselves busy with work throughout the day, though they made sure to arrange their schedules so they could pick her up. Emma’s bug pulled up in front of Regina’s office and she climbed in almost immediately. A quick kiss and they were on their way.

 

The kids were out on the playground with the teachers, running around while they waited. At first, neither of them saw their daughter until Emma caught wind of her jumper. It now had flicks of mud and paint, as did her shirt, but she didn’t seem to care. She was chasing another little girl, one they didn’t recognize, around the playground. Penelope didn’t even notice her moms at first. Regina smiled, her hand slipping into Emma’s.

 

She really was going to be just fine.


	40. Happy Gotchya Day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A guest wanted to see Regina and Henry celebrating Henry’s “Gotchya Day” (if you’re not familiar, it’s something some families with adoptive kids do to celebrate either the day they came into their home or the day their adoption was final). I will say, since “A Baby For Christmas: One Year Later” kind of covered celebrating his birthday and Emma bringing him home, this one is set to celebrate when it was final. Also, I’m including a little something Kamloth prompted a while ago, dealing with tampons. Henry is 5 years old here.

“Let me see the list again,” Emma said, grabbing the legal pad from her wife’s hands and consulting it. “Balloons…”

“I’m picking them up early tomorrow morning,” Regina replied.

“Cake?”

“Chocolate, Granny said it’ll be done then too.”

“Alright,” Emma continued to look down the list. She knew that they were probably overdoing it, but they wanted to.  They spent most of the time trying not to stress on the fact that Henry was adopted, but once a year they did celebrate it: the day that things finally became official.

 

It had taken 6 months for everything to go through. The biological mother had signed away her rights, but then there was the matter of the birth father who hadn’t been written on the birth certificate. The courts made an effort to find him, but eventually his rights were terminated. Six months wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, but for Regina and Emma it had felt like forever.

 

Copies of the picture from that day were in various places in their life. There was at least two in their house, one at the station and of course one in Regina’s office. It would be a day they would never forget, the day he finally was Henry Daniel Swan-Mills.

 

They had heard of Gotchya Day and always planned on just doing something small, but what they failed to realize is that they had made a lot of friends along the way. So many people wanted to celebrate his adoption. This year, they were just going to throw a party and make it easier. It wasn’t going to be a very large affair, the guests were Mary Margaret, David and their son, Neal. Jefferson would be bringing Grace, Whale and Ruby would bring Matilda. Even Graham had promised to come.

 

“5 years, can you believe it?” Emma asked, setting the list down and looking over at her wife. Regina gave her a small smile, as she thought about it.

“No, I really can’t. Some days it feels like just yesterday.” Her eyes scanned the living room, which was currently a tornado of toys that Henry had yet to clean up. “Other days it feels like too long.”

Emma laughed, shaking her head with a playful eye roll. “We got a spirited one.”

“Figures, you’re his mother.”

“Oh, and he gets nothing from you.”

“He so doesn’t.”

“Other 5 year olds don’t have his level of sarcasm, all you.”

Regina resisted the urge to pull her tongue at her. “Where is our devil child anyway?”

“I don’t know. It’s been quiet…too quiet.”

 

The two of them searched the house, eventually ending up in their bathroom. Henry was sitting on the floor, playing with a few of his superhero action figures.

 

“Henry, why are you playing in the bathroom?” Regina asked, a question she never thought she would.

“I was going potty but then I found these really cool things!” The 5-year-old held up…a tampon. Emma’s hand flew to her mouth to prevent her from laughing while Regina stared wide eyed. “They’re swords, Iron Man and Thor are using them to defeat Captain America and Spiderman.”

Emma’s eyes floated to the now empty box on the floor that once contained her menstrual protection. All of the floor were the little green wrappers they were once wrapped in, it seemed each of the figures had received their own. “Henry…these aren’t swords.”

“Yes, they are, Mama,” Henry rolled his eyes. “Look.” He had Iron Man “stab” Spiderman with one. “Why do you have them in your bathroom?”

“Because, they’re…special toilet paper for Mama.” It was the best Emma could come up with. Regina was being of no help; probably just glad he hadn’t taken out her pads.

“Oh.” Henry frowned. He had gotten in trouble a couple of years before, for using all the toilet paper to clog the toilet. “Sorry Mama.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know. Why don’t you go clean up your toys downstairs, I’ll handle this. And then we can go get ice cream.”

Henry’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Okay!” He jumped up and ran out of the bathroom. Once he was out of ear shot, both of the moms burst into fits of laughter.

“Our son was playing with your tampons,” Regina managed to get out. “What…does this happen to people?”

“Clearly.” Emma wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes from laughing so hard. “I guess we’ll have to make a stop at the drug store on the way home.”

“I guess so.” Regina kissed her wife, still laughing a bit. That was their squish.

 

That Saturday was the big day. The one that landmarked them officially becoming a family. Regina had woken up early to get everything and found that Emma had gotten up not long after her to set up the backyard. Regina helped out, tying the balloons to the tree when she caught a glimpse of her wife again. She was trying to figure out where to put the infamous picture of them, her tongue poking out a bit. Regina felt her heart flutter as she watched her.

 

When she and Emma met, she knew that the whole kids thing was going to be a tricky issue. Even if Regina ever felt comfortable with adoption, she wasn’t sure if Emma wanted them. She always seemed to never care either way. She didn’t want to get pregnant, but wouldn’t mind if Regina did (she couldn’t) or if they adopted. However, if they never had a child, she’d be fine with that too. If anyone would’ve been the one to bring a baby home on Christmas Eve, Regina always assumed it would be her.

 

But it had been Emma. She could’ve just brought Henry to the hospital, let him go into the system. Instead, she gave him a home, she had chosen him, wanted him. Without Emma, Regina wouldn’t have her son. 5 ½ years later and it was still something she was immensely grateful for. She gave them a family. Regina wasn’t one for sappy speeches, so she just gave her a look. Emma smiled when she saw her looking, knowing what was going on in her head.

 

Eventually, the two women made their way upstairs and into Henry’s room, where the little boy still slept. Both pounced onto his bed, shaking him awake.

 

“Happy Gotchya Day!” Both exclaimed excitedly. Henry giggled as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

“Mommy! Mama!”

“Do you know why today is so special?” Regina asked, pulling him in for a cuddle.

“’Cause today the judge said I got to be Henry Daniel Swan-Mills,” Henry said, proudly.

“That’s right,” Emma kissed his cheek. “It’s the day we officially became a family and got our little squish.”

“And I got a mama and a mommy,” Henry’s eyes were wide with excitement as they always were when he explained to people-even his own mothers-that he had two. “I’m lucky.”

“You sure are.” Emma smiled. “Come on, let’s get ready and have breakfast. Then we can watch a movie until our guests arrive.”

“Okay!” Henry jumped out of bed and ran to his dresser to pick out his outfit. Regina turned to Emma, still smiling. The blonde moved forward to place a hand on her wife’s cheek and kissed her.

“Happy Gotchya Day,” she whispered.

“Happy Gotchya Day,” Regina murmured back, kissing her again. “Thank you.”

Emma didn’t have to ask, she just nodded, her smile not going anywhere, anytime soon. “Thank you for falling in love with him the minute I put him in your arms.”

“Who couldn’t love that baby squish?”


	41. One Down, Two To Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by ticiatigr on Tumblr, from a sentence starter meme I reblogged: "c'mon, I'll make you some hot chocolate".

“Are you sure you have everything?” Regina asked Henry, peering into the back of his crowded car.

“I think I have more than most kids need when they start college,” he replied, giving her a patient smile. Emma was giving him a look, almost as if she was going to cry. “Mama, not you too.”

“Full tank?” Emma replied, instead.

“Mama…”

“Because here, in case you run out before you get there.” She put a crisp 50 dollar bill in his hand.

Henry sighed. “You guys know I’ll be home soon, it’s not that far away.”

“You shouldn’t drink,” Regina cut in.

“But if you do,” her wife shot her a quick glance before returning it to her son. “Don’t drive. And avoid stairs.”

“Stairs?” Henry repeated.

“Yes, stairs.”

He rolled his eyes. “Alright, no drinking, get gas, avoid stairs…anything else?”

“You know we love you?”

Henry smiled. “Yeah.”

 

Emma and Regina pulled him into a tight hug, trying not to cry at the reminder that he now towered above them both. They didn’t understand when that had happened. It seemed like just yesterday that Emma had brought him home with her, that tiny squishy baby with those big expressive green eyes. He had them wrapped around his fingers from first glance. Over the years, they had watched him grow into a rambunctious kid that was always on the move and talked a mile a minute, spouting out facts from books that he read. He had given them some hell in his teen years-they would never forget the time they caught him tagging-but overall, they were so proud of him. He got good grades for the most part and had gotten into a great college. It was going to be the longest time they’d all been apart since he came into their home.

 

Despite their younger two children that were inside and had already said goodbyes to their big brother, things were definitely going to be different in their house. Emma and Regina weren’t sure if they were ready, but he definitely was.

 

“I love you too,” Henry muttered. “Both of you. I’m really thankful for everything the two of you have done.”

Regina pulled off a bit so he could get a good look at his face, touching his chin. “We’re your moms, Squish, it’s our job.”

Henry nodded and kissed her cheek before doing the same with Emma. “Try to make sure Mom doesn’t text me all day?”

“Can’t make any promises, kid,” Emma smirked a bit at her wife. “You know your mother.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “You two ganging up on me, that’s something I won’t miss.”

“Oh, you’ll get plenty of it at Thanksgiving,” Henry teased back.

She shook her head in response, though he could tell she was only doing that so he wouldn’t see the tear had escaped down her cheek. “Alright, you should go before I change my mind and send you to the local community college.”

Henry smiled. “Right.”

“Call us when you get there and text us pictures of your room.”

He gave them both one last big squeeze, which neither woman easily let him out of. Eventually, after one final grin, he was in his car and pulling out of the drive.

 

Regina and Emma watched the used Toyota go down Mifflin Street. There he was, off into the world. There was a mixture of sadness and pride inside of them, but it was more of the latter than anything.

 

“We did a good job with him,” Emma finally spoke up after he was no longer in sight.

Regina smiled a bit. “We did.”

“He’s going to be okay.”

“Of course he is. He’s a Swan-Mills, after all.” Regina spotted tears falling down Emma’s cheeks and reached over squeezing her arm. “C'mon, I'll make you some hot chocolate.”

Emma wiped her tears. “That sounds good.”

 

The pair headed into the house and it was no surprise that Penelope and Roland had since gotten distracted and were off doing their own thing. Regina lead her wife into the kitchen and started to make the drink while Emma got the mugs. She ran her fingers over a handmade mug that had somehow survived for 13 years.

 

“Remember when us these?” Emma pulled it out along with the matching set.

Regina grinned a little. “I can’t believe they lasted.”

“Well, we never drink out of them,” she pointed out, setting them back down before she dropped them and grabbed two proper ones.

“I still remember when he and Roland set up that Valentine’s Day dinner for us. He was only what, 6?”

Emma nodded and then snorted at another memory. “Then that time he found my tampons and used them as swords for his action figures.”

Regina laughed so hard that she nearly dropped the tea kettle. “He sure was one interesting kid.” She was silent for a minute as Emma settled the mugs onto the counter next to her. “Do you think we were ever too hard on him?”

“Were we probably a little stricter than most parents? Maybe?” Emma shrugged. “At the same time, he’s got a mayor and sheriff for mothers. He turned out fine, we didn’t screw him up nearly as badly as I thought we would. He’s a happy, well-adjusted young man.”

 

Regina nodded at that, looking happy once again. She poured out the hot water and put in the hot chocolate mix. Emma grabbed hold of the whipped cream and cinnamon, adding it on top. She knew that Regina was more of a cider person, but this was their family’s little tradition. She picked up the mug and held it out to her wife’s.

 

“One down, two to go.”

Regina smirked, winking a bit. “I’ll drink to that.”

 

Their mugs clinked and they sipped them. Regina stole a kiss from Emma, catching a taste of cinnamon on her lips.


	42. Time After Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m filling a prompt sent in by dance_of_pales to see Regina meet Odette and Derek. Combining this with showing you guys how these two crazy kids tied the knot.

Ever since she left for college, it was always weird for Emma to return to the apartment she had grown up in. It was spacious for the three of them, filled top to bottom with memories of her childhood. Derek and Odette had tried for years to have a child before finally adopting Emma, it lead them to documenting every minute of her life. They were far more sentimental than she, which she knew was going to lead to teasing from her girlfriend.

 

Almost fiancé. Maybe. If she said yes.

 

Emma had been able to get off work early enough to drive down to Boston before the weekend, but Regina wouldn’t be joining the Swans until that weekend. It gave Emma the perfect opportunity to chat with her father while her mom went to the store to prepare for the visit. It was a big deal for them, Emma had never introduced a proper girlfriend to them before. They knew she had to be special.

 

“So,” Emma said, toying with the beer that Derek gave her. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Are you pregnant?” Derek teased, with a smirk.

“Oh yeah, it’s gonna make the news. Immaculate conception,” she replied, just as jokingly with a smirk. She forgot how much she missed her dad sometimes. “That’s just as funny as when I came out and you were relieved that I couldn’t get knocked up at 16.”

“You know me,” he smiled. “Seriously, what’s going on, Em?”

“Well…you know your mother’s ring? The one she said I could have?”

“Yes. I didn’t think you were the jewelry type, though.”

“I’m not, it’s not for me.”

 

The smile on Derek’s face spread wider and he clapped a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. Emma rolled her eyes, but was smiling a bit herself.

 

“So, that’s why you wanted us to meet Regina,” he said.

Emma nodded. “I really love her. She’s the one. We’ve talked about it a bit and I think it’s finally time.”

“I am so happy for you. I can’t believe you, my little girl that said that she would never be caught dead as a bride is going to propose.”

 

Emma anticipated that excuse from many in her old life. She had always been the one to say she would never get married, never have kids, it was just going to be her. Things were just fine that way and then she met the mayor of Storybrooke, Maine. She wasn’t sure if she believed in fate, but clearly life had different plans for her and she wasn’t going to change it any way.

 

“I’ll get you the ring,” Derek promised. “I have to go to the bank and get it from the safe deposit box. Where are you going to propose?”

“The Esplanade Footbridges,” Emma replied, almost automatically. “She wants a tour of everything, Boston is surprisingly the one place she’s never been to and I want it to be really special.”

Regina felt like her stomach was turning summersaults as she got off the train in Boston. She wasn’t really the “meet the parents” type. Heck, she hadn’t met any since Daniel’s. It wasn’t just meeting the Swans that was troubling her, it was the fact that she had a ring burning a hole in her jacket pocket. She and Emma had discussed marriage, even looked at rings and she knew this trip would be the perfect reason. She had only wished they had been able to do all this before her own father passed away.

 

Drawing back a deep breath, she remembered her father’s words: be happy. He had known she wasn’t going to be a stone during his services, but after, he wanted her to go on living her life and so she had. She had focused on work and her relationship with Emma. Every time she had lost someone before, she fell apart. She had been alone. Then that FBI agent strolled into town and captured her heart. Emma knew just what to say and do to help Regina. She held her when she cried, she let her scream, she brought her all her favorite foods.

 

Regina knew that Emma Swan was meant to be her wife. She just hoped that Emma would find this trip to be an appropriate time.

 

“Regina!”

 

_Speak of the devil._

It had only been 24 hours, but Regina had missed her girlfriend a lot. They had spent the past 10 months sharing a bed and it had felt so empty without her in it. There she was, her hair a mess of curls as usual. She was wearing a cream long sleeved shirt under her leather jacket and skinny jeans. On either side of her were who Regina recognized as Odette and Derek. She had long sandy blonde hair with lovely blue eyes. Derek seemed to be like a giant with his salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. They both had these warm smiles on their faces, as if they had never been more excited in their life. Slowly, she strode over, pulling her suitcase behind her. Emma wrapped her into her arms for a moment, kissing her. Her lips felt cold against Regina’s, but she relished in them. Regina knew to pull apart, as much as she just wished they could make out on the tarmac.

 

“Mom, Dad, this is Regina Mills,” Emma said. “Regina, these are my parents, Odette and Derek Swan.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” Odette said, pulling Regina into her arms immeaditely. Emma giggled at Regina’s expression, she wasn’t much of a hugger.

“Ma, be careful with Regina,” she said.

“Sorry,” Odette pulled off, with a smile. “We’re just a little excited…Emma hasn’t ever let us meet one of her girlfriends!”

“Well geez, make me sound like some sort of freak,” Emma muttered.

Regina smiled while Derek let out a laugh. “What my wife means is, we’ve been looking forward to this,” he shook her hand.

“It’s great to meet you both as well,” she said. “Emma talks so highly of you.”

“Well that’s another first,” Odette teased, nudging her daughter in the ribs.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Do you need help with your bags, Gina?”

“No, I’m good, thank you.”

“Let’s get you back to the apartment, I’m sure it was quite a train ride,” Odette linked arms with Regina. She found herself relaxing. Emma had told her that her mother was very open, she just hadn’t expected her to be so nice.

 

Emma watched her mother walk off with her girlfriend and then looked up at her dad.

 

“I think Mom might steal her from me.”

Derek let out another laugh and wrapped an arm around her. “You know her, everyone’s family as long as they’re nice to you.”

 

Emma helped get Regina settled in her room once she got back to the apartment while Odette got started on dinner. Regina had offered to help, only to get kicked out.

 

“So,” Regina said, looking around. “This is where Emma Swan grew up.”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “My dad’s dad owned the building and then passed it down to him.”

“It’s bigger than I thought.”

“Still weird being back here. My mom has barely touched it since I left for college.”

“I can see that.” Regina pointed to a poster on her wall. “Spice Girls?”

Blush tinted Emma’s cheeks. “I listened to them ironically.”

“Right,” Regina smirked. “Which one did you have the crush on?”

“I didn’t…”

“Emma.”

“Posh Spice, okay?” She ignored Regina’s giggling. “What can I say? I have a thing for brunettes.”

Regina smiled at that. “Guess you do.”

 

The next day, Regina and Emma spent the morning alone together. Odette and Derek had to work but promised to meet up with them for dinner. Emma went along to all the tourist locations that Regina wanted, some of them she had never done herself considering how cheesy they are. She got bored after a while and her feet were killing her, but she didn’t want to ruin the day. One of their final stops was the bridge. Emma reached into her jacket pocket to make sure that she still had the ring box that Derek had picked up and turned to Regina.

  
  
“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”

Regina nodded as she stared out at the sunset. “It’s weird how different it is from Maine and it’s only 4 hours away.”

“Well, city vs. beach. I’d still pick Storybrooke any day.”

“Really? I mean…I’ve been to lots of places and I know it’s my home. But you,  you were always meant to travel.”

“Guess I found my anchor.” She leaned in, kissing a grinning Regina. “Speaking of which…” Emma drew a deep breath; the butterflies were doing karate in her stomach. “I have something to ask you.”

 

She got down on one knee, pulling out the box and opening. Regina’s eyes flew open wide and she went to speak, but couldn’t. The [ring was beautiful](http://www.trumpetandhorn.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/r/e/reneehollingsheadphotography-sophie.jpg), simple. There was a large aquamarine gem cradled around small diamonds, set in white gold. It was different than any ring she had ever seen and that made it all the more special.

 

“Regina…oh God, you know I suck at speeches,” Emma fumbled on her words. “I just love you so much. Every morning I wake up with you is special and I know this ring won’t change who we are…I didn’t think I’d ever need that piece of paper, but I do.”

 

Tears trickled down Regina’s face. She hadn’t expected Emma to be the one to want to propose. She just thought it wasn’t her thing. But there she was, opening herself up to her with a beautiful ring.

 

“Well…what do you say?” Emma repeated after a few moments of silence.

“I…I…I was going to propose!” Regina blurted out.

Emma cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

 

Regina reached into her coat pocket and held up her own ring box. She got down on one knee in front of Emma and opened it. [Inside](http://www.anjayspearls.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/p/ap136_white_gold_platinum_pearl_diamond_wedding_band_diamond_engagement_ring_1.jpg) was a pearl set in silver, with a butterfly design on the sides. Emma couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t a jewelry person, but that had been the one to stick out to her. She had thought Regina would think she was weird, so she hadn’t pointed it out. She must have seen her staring.

 

“Oh,” Emma breathed out.

“So…if I say yes to you, will you say yes to me?”

Emma looked up at her, matching her wide smile as a single tear of joy fell down her face. “I would want nothing more in this world.”

 

Just 2 short months later, Emma stood in the kitchen of the mansion, eagerly looking out the door, trying to get a peek of Regina. She realized that Sidney hadn’t walked her down the aisle yet, which just made her more anxious. All she could see was Mal, who had agreed to officiant, along with some of the guests. Mary Margaret and David were in the front row, though Odette was missing. Ruby, Whale and Jefferson weren’t too far down. Since Regina didn’t have any biological family attending, they didn’t have sides. Everyone was just there to celebrate the union of these two.

 

Emma fiddled with the black tux she was wearing, the red bow tie clearly popping against it. Her bouquet of tiger lilies were firmly in her hands, as she moved from heel. Derek smiled at her.

 

“Nervous?”

“Only that I’ll trip or throw up,” she admitted.

“You’re going to do just fine,” he told her. “I won’t let you fall.”

Emma’s eyes sparkled. “Thanks Dad. I know you probably didn’t expect to walk your daughter down in a tux.”

“Nah, it’s you.” He pushed a curl behind her ear. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m happy too,” Emma replied, her smile widening.

 

On the back porch, Regina was also fidgeting with her wedding outfit. She had opted for a long white dress, a beaded shawl on top since it was so cold out. There was nothing fancy with it, but it made her feel like a queen. Her hair had been styled back in a bun, though not too tight. Sidney was nearby, he had graciously offered to walk her down the aisle so she didn’t have to just stand alone. She wished more than anything her father could be there and she felt maybe he was…in some weird way.

 

“Regina?” The bride-to-be looked  up and saw Odette standing there.

“Mrs. Sw…Odette,” she reminded herself what the older woman had insisted she call her. “Shouldn’t you be in your seat?”

“I just wanted to visit you. You look beautiful.”

Regina smiled. “Thank you.”

“Emma told me about your father, but your mother isn’t here?”

Regina’s smile faltered. She hadn’t even sent Cora an invitation. She knew she’d either not show or she would and ruin the day. “No. She’s not as…accepting as you are.”

Odette nodded, her face serious. “Well, she’s a moron.”

Regina snorted. “I see where Emma gets her tact.”

“Look, just know that you are an amazing woman and there isn’t anyone else I could picture marrying my daughter,” she said.

“Thank you, Odette,” she took her hand. “That really means a lot.”

 

 _Time After Time_ by Cindy Lauper could be hear coming from the iPod docking station that Jefferson had set up. It was time. Odette kissed Regina’s cheek.

 

“Congratulations, honey,” she said.

 

Regina smiled and watched her head back to her seat. Sidney turned to her, offering his arm. Regina took a deep breath, adjusting her own flowers in her arms, heading down the aisle. When she reached Mal, her long-time friend squeezed her arm. It didn’t take long for her to see Emma come out the kitchen entrance on Derek’s arm. Her heart skipped a beat. God damn, her wife was sexy.

 

Emma’s eyes stayed on Regina, taking in every bit of her as they headed down the garden path. She probably would’ve collided with her, had her father not straightened her out. Regina laughed and took Emma’s hand, the two smiling at each other. Mal started off the ceremony and they could just barely hear her.

 

“I love you,” Emma whispered.

Regina smiled and squeezed her hand. “Love you more.”

“Not possible.”


	43. The Boy Who Stole Their Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest asked for a one shot of Emma and Regina’s first Mother’s Day, getting each other Mommy/Mama necklaces.

Regina was keeping an eye on her near 5-month-old while he laid in the center of the bed, while she sat near the edge, selecting wrapping paper for the jewelry box that was in front of her. Henry seemed fine, he hadn’t started to roll over quite yet, but she was nervous that would be the time he decided to start.

 

“What do we think, little prince?” Regina asked, holding up the box for about the millionth time. Henry had been with her when she purchased it and he was too even understand, she just found herself talking to him more and more. Henry merely gurgled and then spit up, his chubby fists going up in the air. She couldn’t help but smile, leaning down to kiss his forehead and wiped his chin. “Let’s hope your mama feels the same.”

 

Mother’s Day was in just a few days and the two new mothers were still finding their footing with that. They knew it’d be a few years before Henry could understand and help them with the presents, but in the meantime, Regina wanted to honor Emma. She worked so hard and without her, they wouldn’t even have Henry. His adoption wouldn’t be final for another month, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t celebrate.

 

Regina had gone back and forth on what to get her wife. When it came to her own mother, she had never known what to buy. Nothing ever seemed to be good enough. She hadn’t had to worry about Mother’s Day with Cora for a few years now and she was grateful, but it was different with Emma. It wasn’t even like Henry was old enough to stay still to do footprints or anything. So, she had settled on something completely cheesy: a necklace.

 

It was silver, with two hearts in the middle, under them was “Mama”. Surrounding that, were the words “Magic Maker. Soul Soother. Secret Warrior”. To her, Emma was all that and more. She had also got a picture frame with a selfie she had taken of herself and Henry, so she could put it on her desk at the sheriff’s office.

 

Regina had just finished wrapping her presents and hiding them in her nightstand, when Emma walked in. She smiled at her two favorite people and walked over, kissing Regina and picking up her son.

 

“What were you up to this afternoon?” She asked.

“Oh you know, just did a little shopping.”

Emma wiggled her eyebrows. “Shopping? Whatever for?”

A smirk played on Regina’s lips. “You’ll just have to see on Sunday, won’t you?”

“Unless Henry told me. Huh, Squish, now would be the perfect time to prove you’re some prodigy and start talking,” Emma teased the baby in her arms, tickling his chin so he’d giggle.

Regina rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’m going to order some dinner.”

“I think he needs a diaper change, meet you downstairs.”

“Alright.”

 

Regina pecked her lips and gave her son a loving look before heading down the stairs. Emma reached into her bag, pulling out a jewelry box.

 

“Can you keep a secret, Henry, huh?” Emma asked, bouncing him a bit. “I got Mommy’s present today, too.” She flipped up the box lid, revealing a necklace. Inside was a circle pendent that read “There’s this boy who stole my heart, he calls me mom”, with two charms hanging off of it. One said “Henry” and the other was his birthstone, a turquoise gem. “It’s just the right amount of fluff, I think she’s going to really love it.”

 

That Sunday morning, Emma woke up to some fussing and looked down beside her. She had nearly forgotten that Henry had ended up in their bed the night before. The poor thing had just been so fussy and wouldn’t stop until she brought him through. She bent down and picked him up, putting him onto her chest.

 

“Morning Squish,” she said with a small yawn. Looking around the room, she realized that Regina was gone. “Where’d Mommy go?”

“Mommy made breakfast.” Emma glanced up and saw Regina standing in the doorway, holding a tray filled with food.

Emma smiled, adjusting herself. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“It’s Mother’s Day,” Regina pointed out, setting the tray down on her lap.

“Yes, but I’m not the only mother.”

“You can treat me to dinner tonight, I’m unsure if I’d want your cooking.”

“Are you being mean to me on today of all days?” Emma teased, leaning up to give her a kiss.

“Just shut up and eat your breakfast.”

“As you wish.”

 

The two ate their French toast, looking between each other and their son. Once Regina had gotten through feeding him his bottle, Emma reached into her nightstand and pulled out a messily wrapped package.

 

“Happy Mother’s Day,” she said.

Regina grinned and took it from her. “Here, I got you something too.” She reached into her own nightstand, pulling out her own.

 

Emma unwrapped the picture frame first, beaming down at it. Her two favorite people in the entire world in one photo. Regina’s face was completely lit up, in a way it only was when she was with their son. She knew she got the same one whenever he looked at him. Henry was also smiling in it, as much as his chubby little face would allow. She set it up on the nightstand, leaning over to kiss her wife before they both set to open their other packages.

 

Identical laughs escaped their lips as they saw the necklaces before them. “Great minds think alike, I suppose,” Regina said.

Emma nodded, feeling the tears prickle her eyes. “I guess so,” she ran her fingers over the words on the necklace.

“This couldn’t be more true,” Regina commented on what her own said, she smiled down at Henry. “You snuck into my heart so quickly.” She stroked his cheek and then looked up, seeing the tears in Emma’s eyes. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head and looked up. “I just…we’re mothers.”

“I know, I think that was evident by the little squish that wakes us up multiple times a night.”

Emma rolled her eyes in spite of her tears. “It’s not that. I just…I never saw us here and now…I can’t picture our lives without him.”

Regina reached over, putting a hand on her cheek. “I can never thank you enough for bringing him home to me.”

“Just like I can’t for falling in love with him so quickly.” They both looked down at the squirming baby in her arms. “Though, who wouldn’t?”

“We got lucky,” Regina whispered. Her eyes went back to Emma. “Happy Mother’s Day.”

“Happy Mother’s Day,” Emma replied, softly. She kissed Regina before doing the same to Henry’s head.

 

The one boy who had ever manage to steal her heart.


	44. Circle Of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a prompt submitted to me by an anonyms user on Tumblr, after last night’s episode, they wanted to see SQ interact with a grandchild. I think I took this in a slightly different way than you expected, but given what Henry and his siblings have been through, I just think it’d make sense for him to make this choice. I’ve been getting requests for forever to write about them more adult, so I’ve decided to finally break and do with Henry only. He and August are in their late 20s here.

Regina and Emma probably shouldn’t have been so caught off guard when Henry and August sat them down, explaining their intentions to adopt an older child. They knew the boys were looking to start a family and just as Regina and Emma, they had limited options. They had considered adopting an infant, but the waitlists were years long. Yet, there were older children, waiting for forever homes.

 

Henry knew he was lucky that Emma had brought him home that night, there was a possibility he could’ve grown up in the system. He also thought of Roland, who only joined the family because his biological parents died. If not for Emma and Regina, he may have ended up in foster care as well. Babies were almost always guaranteed a family, but for these older kids, the chances weren’t as great. He and August had discussed it, they knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they wanted to do it.

 

Emma and Regina couldn’t be more proud, but also a little touched that they had had such an impact on him. Sometimes, they forgot how grateful Henry was. To them, he didn’t need to be. From the moment they each held him, they knew he was meant to be theirs. They would make the same choice time and time again. He was their little squish-that would never change.

 

Henry and August had gone to a children’s home and fallen in love with a little girl by the name of Lucy. She was 8-years-old and bubbly, sweet. The minute they entered the home, she had tried to show them around to all the other kids. The poor thing had been in the home for so long, she had given up, but wanted the other kids to have a chance. Her personality reminded Henry a lot of Penelope and that’s just how he knew. The little girl with dark hair and matching eyes stole their hearts. Paperwork had to be filled out, but in a matter of weeks, they were bringing Lucy home and Henry was texting his mama to let her know the good news.

 

“Regina!” Emma yelled through the house as she walked in the door. “Regina! Come here quick! Penelope, you too!”

 

Her wife and teenage daughter ran into the room, looking completely confused. Emma was beaming and holding up her phone.

 

“You called us out here,” Regina said, a hand over her heart. “To show us some meme?”

“I told you Mama, they’re not that funny,” Penelope complained.

Emma rolled her eyes. “No, look! Henry and August finished the paperwork, they got to bring Lucy home today!”

 

Regina and Penelope instantly gathered around the phone, peering at the screen. The little girl was standing next to August with a shy smile.

  
“Look at her hair,” Regina whispered softly. “It’s so long.”

“She’s so cute!” Penelope squealed. “I can’t believe I’m finally an aunt!”

“I can’t believe we’re grandmas,” Emma said, nudging Regina’s ribs, but both had tears of joy in their eyes. Their little squish had a squish of his own now, it would seem.

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Regina said, wrapping an arm around Emma’s waist.

“They want to get her settled, but they’re going to bring her by next week. I already called Roland, we’ll make a day of it.”

* * *

Lucy sat on her bed, swinging her legs a bit. Her room was still a lot to take in, she couldn’t believe how prepared they had been for her. The walls were periwinkle and the bedding matched. August had gotten her so many toys and Henry had filled the shelves with books. She had never had anyone to care about her so much. Ever since her birth parents died, she had been stuck in the children’s home. Now today, she was due to meet Henry’s parents and siblings. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. Her new fathers seemed to really like her, but what if her dad’s family didn’t? Would they send her back?

 

There was a sudden knock at her door. “Come in!” She called. It opened and Henry walked in, smiling. It was still so hard to believe that he had a little girl. He already loved her so much.

“Hey kiddo,” he said. “Are you ready to go?”

Lucy bit her lip. “What if they don’t like me?

Henry walked closer to him and lowered himself onto the bed. “Why would you think that?”

Lucy shrugged. “I dunno.”

“My moms are going to love you, they were beyond excited when I told them that we were taking you into our home,” he said. “Roland and Penelope are going to love you too.”

“I’ve never had so much family before,” she mumbled.

Henry lifted her chin and kissed her forehead. “Well get used to it. I promise, Papa and I will be there the whole time.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

August appeared in the doorway, also smiling. “Ready to go?”

Henry glanced back at his daughter. “What do you think, Luce?” She hesitantly nodded.

“Uh huh.”

 

It didn’t take them long to get to the mansion on Mifflin Street. Henry silently thanked Emma for not letting Regina hang a banner or anything. He knew they were just excited, but didn’t want to overwhelm Lucy. They got out of the car and he used his key to get in.

 

“Anyone home?”

 

All at once, as if they had been waiting their whole lives for it, his mothers and siblings emerged from the kitchen. Emma and Regina each took turns hugging August and Henry, out of habit before turning to their granddaughter. Regina’s hand flew over her mouth and tears pooled her eyes. A big smile went across Emma’s face. Lucy looked from them to Roland and Penelope, who also had massive grins on their faces.

 

“Lucy, these are my moms,” Henry said. “Emma and Regina. Mom, Mama, this is me and August’s new daughter, Lucy.”

“It is so nice to meet you,” Emma said.

“You’re just so precious,” Regina whispered.

Lucy smiled a bit, shifting in her spot. “Um, thank you.” She paused for a minute. “What am I supposed to call you two?”

The two women burst into laughter, along with everyone else. Emma knelt down to Lucy’s eye level. “You can call us whatever you’d like, kid,” she said. “If you want to call us Grandma and Nana, we’d love that. Emma and Regina is good too, though.”

“Okay,” Lucy nodded, her smile growing. Henry put a hand on her shoulder and lead her over to his siblings.

“This is my younger brother, Roland and my baby sister, Penelope,” he said.

“Hi!” Penelope said excitedly. “I am so happy you’re a girl!”

Roland rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Please ignore Penny, most of us do.”

Lucy giggled. “You’re really pretty,” she told her new aunt. “I like your hair.” She pointed to the blonde hair that was put in French braids.

“Oh, thanks. I can do it for you…if you want…and if August and Henry will let me.”

August and Henry nodded. “If Lucy wants to, sure.”

Lucy considered it for a moment and then nodded. “Okay.”

 

After Penelope braided Lucy’s hair to look just like hers, she let Emma give her a tour of the house. She gave her lots of Jolly Ranchers, which just so happened to be her favorite type of candy. Emma grinned, glad to have something in common with her. August had gone out back with Penelope and Roland, so Henry settled down at the table with Regina.

 

“How’s it going?” She asked.

“It’s…weird. Not in a bad way, though. I just, I wasn’t sure what to expect. She’s taken to us so quickly.”

Regina smiled. “I remember the first time Emma put you in my arms. You had my heart and there was no going back.” Henry smiled in return and squeezed her hand.

“August is so great with her, he plays out back with her almost every day and I read to her at night. I guess I’m just…what if I screw up?”

“Oh, you will.”

Henry made a face. “Well thanks, Mom.”

Regina laughed and patted his cheek. “Oh, I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. In the end, you’ll make up for them.”

“What if I have to punish her and she gets mad at me?”

“Are you still mad about all the times I grounded you?”

“No, you were just being a mom.”

“Lucy will get over it too. Just don’t stress about it,” she said. “And if you have to, lean on August. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through your first year without your mama. She was my lifeline.”

Henry nodded. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime, Squish.”

He made a face. “Squish, really? I’m a father now, myself.”

“But you’ll always be my squish,” she told him, kissing his forehead.

 

When Lucy was done with the house tour, Regina taught her how to make her famous apple turnovers. It was something that none of her kids seemed to want to do anymore and Emma couldn’t bake to save her life, so it was nice to have someone to pass it down to. Lucy giggled the entire time, nearly dropping the apples a couple of times and her folding wasn’t that great, but Regina praised her nonetheless.

 

The family spent the afternoon together, eating dinner and then the turnovers. Lucy was having the time of her life, especially when Roland let her touch his guitar and promised if she wanted, she could learn how to play it. As the night was winding down, Lucy was getting tired and curled up in Regina’s side as her nana read her a story. Emma watched from the doorway, a smile on her face. She didn’t realize her son-in-law was beside her until he spoke.

  
“Thank you for being so good with her.”

Emma looked up at him (how unfair was it that all her sons were taller than her now?). “She’s a part of this family, once you’re in, you’re good for life.”

August chuckled and looked at his daughter for another minute, before meeting Emma’s eye. “Henry’s been so great. I know he was nervous, I was too.”

“You two are going to do great, you already are. I saw the pictures Henry took, she’s already in love with you guys.”

“We love her right back,” August was quiet for a minute. “Thank you, by the way.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

“Raising Henry the way you did, if it weren’t for you and Regina, he wouldn’t be the man he is, the father he is. Everything he is, it’s because you two adopted him. You taught him how to be an amazing guy.”

 

Emma blinked the tears that were forming in her eyes over the unexpected compliment. She batted away the few that fell anyway.

 

“Damn it August, what have I told you about giving me sappy speeches that are going to make me cry?” She accused.

August laughed. “Sorry, Mama.”

“Come here.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed his cheek. When Henry married him, she had gained another son and now she had a beautiful granddaughter.


	45. A Happy Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well everyone, here it is. The final update to this verse. I just feel as though I’ve touched on all I can. I just want to thank everyone for all your support in this verse. It means the world to me.

Regina set the final picture up on the mantle, letting out a content sigh. They had two daughter-in-laws and one son-in-law now, the progression of her kids getting older was clear in each picture. Penelope had been a mere teenager when Henry and August tied the knot, her early 20s when Roland and Lily had gotten married. Now there she was, in her own wedding picture. She stood beside her bride, Melody, beaming proudly.

 

The house was quieter these days. Henry and August had decided to move to Boston to expand their coffee chain, taking Lucy with them. They visited as often as they could, posting pictures of their happy little family on Facebook. They had adopted a Beagle that Henry proudly named Banjo Jr.

 

Roland and Lily had only recently moved back to Storybrooke. After college, they spent time traveling around the country. After the birth of their twin boys, they chose to return in order to be closer to family. They lived not too far from newlyweds, Penelope and Melody, who were still trying to figure out what they wanted in life.

 

“Bags are all packed,” Emma’s voice lingered from the doorway, causing Regina to turn away. “Ready to go?”

 

The years had been good to Emma, to both of them. There were wrinkles and the stray gray hairs, but overall, Regina still thought her wife was damn sexy. She wouldn’t say that their love had stayed the same over the years. It had blossomed, it had developed. They had been through so much over time: death, judgmental parents, infertility, misunderstandings. In the end, however, they stood standing. When Regina had purchased the mansion, she had been alone. Yet, over the past 30+ years, it had filled with love and happiness. Three children, numerous pets and her wife’s laughter had filled her heart with more than she could ever imagine.

 

Things had been rough when Penelope moved out. It was just the two of them, no more children to look after. Emma worried what was to come, she knew that many couples had issues once they were empty nesters. They managed to make it work. They found themselves again. They were still parents, but also people outside that. Regina was no longer the town’s mayor, she stopped running in Penelope’s senior year. A little after their daughter graduated college, Emma also retired from her position as sheriff.

 

They spent their time split between family and travel. This would be their last trip before they became grandparents again. Regina had the idea to travel around Europe, somewhere they had yet to go together. They’d tour Italy and Paris, spending rainy days in London, maybe hitting up a few pubs in Ireland. Just the two of them, tangled up in the sheets of the different hotels Regina had booked. Emma still got excited at the thought of seeing her in a swimsuit.

  
“Ready,” Regina agreed, walking over to her and kissing her. “What time does our flight leave?”

“Not until 6. We’ll probably be able to sleep on the plane.”

“You’ll wake the other passengers with your snoring, dear.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I do not snore.”

“Emma, we’ve been married for over 30 years. I know you.”

Emma moved closer to Regina. “Oh, do you?”

Regina smirked. “We don’t have time, Miss Swan. You know we have to be at the airport 2 hours before our flight.”

“We’re going to be 4 hours early at this rate. Come on.” She began nibbling on Regina’s neck.  “It’s not like we have to bother going upstairs anymore.”

“Mmm…very true.” Regina’s fingers traced over the bra poking out of Emma’s top. “I love you, Miss Swan.”

“And I love you, your majesty.”

 

The day Emma brought Henry home, Regina thought that had been their happy ending. In all reality, it had just been a beginning. Now here they were, ready to start the next book in their lives. One of hope, one of family and one filled with love.

 

_The End_

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Like I said, in the earlier notes, legally there were probably a bunch of problems with this BUT I just got the idea and thought it'd make a cute one shot, maybe I'll write a follow up for it in the future. As always, I do accept prompts and feel free to follow me on the Tumblr: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction.


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